Remembrance
by L'Archel-Hotishi
Summary: Loki and his family must return to Asgard. Before doing so, they decide to tell Mayura all their secrets, including their divinity. (Spoilers for entire series, including Gods of the New World.)
1. Breaking the news

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Matantei Loki/Ragnarok/Gods of the New World. I'm only writing this fanfiction for fun out of passion for the series. :)

Rating: K+

Author's Note: You know how sometimes you write an entire story in the shower? Like, mentally? Well, oops.

Enjoy! (Warning, spoilers for episode 26.)

-START-

Mayura sat as still as death, her skin pale enough to make her look the part. Her ruby eyes were wide and her fists clenched into tight balls. As she sat seated across from the young boy she thought so well in his study, the woman had blanched and fallen silent.

"You guys are gods?" she asked in a barely audible whisper.

Yamino, who stood beside the boy she now knew to be the butler's father, solemnly nodded. "This must be some news to hear. Please take your time."

Loki nodded, validating everything she'd said.

They had made the decision to reveal everything to her. Loki had told her everything about their godhood, Asgard and even Odin. They'd revealed their true identities to the woman for one reason; they were leaving Midgard. Loki, Fenrir, and Yamino would depart from her life, and the idea made her nauseous.

The family had made the decision to return to their homeworld to make an attempt at destroying peace. Also, they didn't want their presence to put Mayura in any more danger than it already had.

The other gods in her life such as Thor, Freyr, and Heimdall had also made the choice to leave. The woman knew them as Narugami, Mystery Thief, and Kazumi. I idea of everyone leaving, living lives she had no clue existed, was tearing at her brain and heart.

Mayura felt betrayed. She knew Loki and Yamino well enough that neither would lie about such a thing. The explanation about them being gods also helped explain all the mysterious happenings that seemed to occur around them. There was no way their confession was a lie, and she'd pinched herself enough times to know she wasn't dreaming.

"Why?" she asked after five long minutes of silence. "Why are you just now telling me this? I thought we were friends!"

"Miss Mayura," Yamino said, voice heavy with emotion. "Telling you might have compromised your safety. You didn't deserve to carry the burden of identities on your shoulders. You're completely unrelated to the problems we face, and we wanted it to stay that way."

It made perfect sense. Loki noticed Mayura's anger and chimed in, voice lower than she'd ever heard before.

"My son is right," he said, and saw her shoulders jump. "There was no reason for you to be involved. We're telling you now because we care about you, and want you to know about our departure."

They cared. The young woman couldn't help but smile. She knew that well and good from how many cookies she'd been served, how many tissues she'd been offered, and how many scarves they'd wrapped around her because she never remembered her coat in the colder months.

"We didn't want to erase your memories," Loki said, closing his eyes behind. His hands made a chapel that hid the furrow in his brow. "We don't want to erase them. We've hidden so much that we thought now was finally a time to be truthful."

The woman sat listlessly as Loki slowly stood up from his past. He brushed past her on his way to the door, which opened with a deafeningly loud creak. "Whenever you're ready, come say your goodbyes. Yamino and I will wait down the hall."

On that note, Yamino also walked towards the door, leaving the woman to ponder her thoughts and absorb the deluge of information. They didn't know how long it would take for her to stand and face them again, but they would willingly give her as much time as she needed.

-END-

I hope this makes sense as a plot…it's AU, needless to say. I'm more of a fan of the manga, but this series will probably feel more like the anime.

Anyway, finished at 12:41 a.m…now to write the next chapter, lol. See you soon! :)

Next chapter: Goodbyes


	2. Goodbye to Yamino

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything from the Matantei Loki franchise. I'm just writing this story for fun.

Rating: K+

Author's Notes: I want to try and marathon writing most of this story. I know that I haven't updated Fuse, and I don't want that to happen with this one, especially since it's more emotional than it is comedic.

Anyways, enjoy! :)

-START-

After taking an indefinite amount of time to soak in all the new facts that she'd been exposed to, Mayura finally stood from her chair and made her way towards the study door. She recalled Loki saying that they would be waiting down the hall for her to say goodbye.

It was all so sudden. She had no idea if she would ever see them again after their next conversation. That's what Loki had made it sound like. She had no idea when she bounced into Enjaku's front door hours earlier after a boring day at school that she would be saying farewell to her best friends. It was still almost too surreal to fathom.

The young woman opened the door with a soft click to complete silence. She didn't hear any voices in the hallways and, despite the fact that she was used to the mansion and knew it only had two inhabitants, it still seemed more still than usual.

The woman turned to the right and stared down a long hallway of what she knew were bedrooms and sitting rooms, which were usually reserved for guests or even gatherings. Mayura hadn't been inside many of the other rooms in the agency, but knew her way around enough that she could walk the halls with some degree of confidence and knowledge of where she was going.

After making it about halfway down the hall, she heard a sudden rustle and saw a slightly opened door to a room she'd never been in before. With an outstretched hand, she pushed it open to find Yamino in the room, pulling the panes of the window shut and closing the drapes. When he caught sight of her in the doorway, he turned slowly and nodded for her to come inside.

The woman nodded and entered, the silence palpable but not awkward. After a few moments, Mayura gasped out a laugh and raised a hand to her eyes. "Sorry, my face must look puffy. I cried a little after you guys left."

Yamino's face softened even more as he reached out to take her hand away from her face. "It's fine. We told you…it's a lot to handle. We debated even telling you at all."

"I'm glad you decided to tell me," she said quickly. He looked at her quizzically, and she continued. "I mean, I really appreciate you not taking my memories without my consent. It's really weird to think that you guys are _gods_ , but it explains a lot."

Also, she didn't want to forget them. Enjaku Detective Agency had been a huge chunk of her high school life, and she didn't want to lose one of the best things that had ever happened to her. She used her other hand to wipe away the fresh tears that threatened to drop. "Sorry. Seeing me cry probably isn't instilling a lot of confidence in not erasing my memories. You guys probably care so much that you'd do it if you thought it would help me, right?"

Yamino couldn't help but chuckle. While Mayura could be a ditz, there were definitely things that the young lady was very receptive to.

After a few more sniffles, Mayura laughed in turn and went to hug him. She knew Yamino bristled a close contact sometimes, as he was an easily flustered individual. Even so, he returned the gesture slowly but surely. Although he didn't believe the moment was appropriate to tell her, he had to admit that seeing her cry was hard for him to watch. To him, Mayura was like a younger sister. He was perfectly aware that she'd had a crush on him when she first came to the agency, which his father still teased him about, much to his reluctance. In the time she'd been coming to Enjaku, Yamino had become somewhat of a mother figure to her, due to all the cleaning and housework he did. He also seemed much more in tune to deciphering her emotions, which Loki, and sometimes even her own father, couldn't pin immediately.

"Sorry for hugging you," she said weakly. "It's probably really dumb and stupid of me…but I…"

"Stop apologizing, Miss Mayura," he said, patting her back. "It's not dumb or stupid."

Feeling a wave of relief, she stayed close to him for a few moments more before slowly moving away, having allowed herself the luxury of shedding a few more tears while her head was tucked out of his sight.

When she looked up at him again, he brandished another tissue to wipe away the tears and small smudges from her mascara that had appeared under her watery eyes. "Don't hold back your tears, Miss Mayura. You know that you get headaches when you do that. You'll also irritate your eyes."

He really was like an overly protective mother to her.

"You should go talk with my father now," he said with a soft smile, watching the objection appear on her face. He shushed her and took a step back from her smaller body.

The man faced her from a few steps away and, in a gesture that she didn't expect, bent his body and bowed to her. "Thank you, Miss Mayura."

Mayura was stunned. After everything they had done for her and everything he had specifically done for her, he was now bowing to her as if she was the one who was a divine entity. Seeing the confusion on her face, he lifted his head and spoke with such sincerity that Mayura felt almost too humble to remain in the room.

"Thanks to you, I love Midgard much more than Asgard," he said. "I've never been used to being treated with such equality and kindness than by humans, and by you. We must return to our Asgard for now. However, if we ever get the chance to return, I promise that we will. At least, I will, if that's enough."

Mayura nodded and smiled, hoping that his words were true. Perhaps one day they could come back and be in her life again. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."


	3. Goodbye to Fenrir

Title Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Disclaimer: The Matantei Loki / RAGNAROK / Gods of the New World series does not being to me. Please refer to Sakura Kinoshita as the owner and author. This story is written for fun.

Author's Note: I've been sitting on the first two chapters for months because Fanfiction wasn't working for me. Now it's working, for some reason.

Please enjoy! :)

 **-START-**

Mayura exited the room swiftly, mostly because she was still crying and uncertain if she'd be able to stop. She didn't want Yamino to have to see her cry even more than he had, especially since she knew they needed to return to Asgard and there was nothing he could do about it.

Yamino had promised he'd return if he had the chance. That was enough, for now.

Using her wrists, she wiped her eyes dry and continued down the halls of the agency. Unfortunately she hadn't seen which direction Loki had gone in. The woman assumed that she would say goodbye to him next, which would no doubt be just as or more difficult than with Yamino.

Mayura sighed, shoulders drooping. It was so much to take in at one time. How in the world was she supposed to say goodbye to her best friend so suddenly?

"Spacing out, mystery girl?"

Mayura paused. The voice had come from behind her. Upon turning, she only saw the small puppy she knew as Fenrir.

The woman looked around for another few seconds before the dog—somehow—laughed. "Don't look so stunned. I'm talking to you."

The voice was somewhat similar to Yamino's, but different in character and delivery. She could tell it was a different person speaking to her despite the tonal similarities.

Earlier in the day, when Loki had unloaded the huge amount of secrets they'd been keeping from her, he'd revealed that Fenrir was his son. The woman was too shocked at the time with other facts that she barely remembered all the details. Perhaps she'd just been numbed by the sudden deluge of new information.

"You can talk?" the woman asked apprehensively. "Since when?"

He'd never spoken to her before. As far as she'd known, he was just a dog. She supposed that a human conscience would be fitting, since Loki mentioned he was Yamino's brother and also a shape shifter. It made sense that they were similar beings in opposite forms, one bound by limited power and one bound by a spell. However, it was odd to hear him finally speak.

"Since always," he responded curtly. "You've never been able to hear me until now. Maybe it's because we told you our secret about being gods, or perhaps you're becoming more spiritually intuitive like your dad. Anyway, I'm glad you can hear me now."

She deflated. Even after hearing all their secrets, the surprises were nonstop.

The puppy continued, "At least the shock of hearing me talk got rid of that sad look on your face."

Her lips twisted into a brief smile at hearing something nice from the small dog. At that moment, he kind of sounded like his younger brother. Perhaps their relation wasn't all the absurd.

"I'm just nervous about saying goodbye to your…dad…" she said slowly, still stricken by the oddity of it all. Fenrir sat and stared up at her blankly. Prompted by the silence, she added, "It's so much to take it. I don't even know what I'll say to him. There's too much to say. I could write a million essays and still not be done."

The voice chuckled again.

"Well, don't say it with a sad face," he prompted. "If you can help it."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Is this one of those, 'You're prettier when you smile' kind of things, because I find those comments somewhat demeaning."

She didn't expect him to agree. "I mean that your sad face is all too surreal. We're used to seeing you happy and occasionally mildly pissed. We expected you to get angry at us, and rightfully so."

"Angry?" she asked. Mayura remembered all the time she'd cuddled Fenrir in her lap and buried her face into his fur, either from intense laughing or intense sobbing. They'd even shared a nap or two. There had been times when she'd held him like a stuffed animal, and thrown him around like one too. Recalling all her interactions with Fenrir provided her with insufficient evidence that she would be angry, at least with him.

"I'm not angry," she said after a few seconds. Mayura felt like she should be, but rage wasn't stirring within her. At least it wasn't yet.

Fenrir's gaze perked up, his tail swishing in a manner that suggested agitation. "Huh? You should be angry. I would be. We kept all these secrets and then just dumped them on you. It's cowardly, right? We're a couple of chumps for doing something so cruel."

"Cruel?" she echoed. It wasn't as if it was their fault they had to leave. Not exactly.

"Erasing my memories without my consent would have been much crueler," she argued, and Fenrir silenced. The dog turned from her, resigned to her answer.

The woman wasn't sure how to provide him with the rage he thought he and his family deserved, so she attempted an alternate offer.

"It's too bad we could never talk before now," Mayura said timidly. He wasn't the most articulate, as she got the feeling there was a lot more behind the puppy's words than he was letting on. The woman got the gist. "Maybe if you get the chance to return to Midgard, we could talk more?"

Although the dog's face was still turned away, the change in how his tail swished told her all she needed to know. The request had made him happy.

"Sure, I got no problem with that," he said as flatly as possible.

She nodded and stepped forward to rub Fenrir's head one last time. Even with a new voice, he was still the same cuddly puppy she knew and adored. "I guess I better go say goodbye to Loki. I don't want to keep you guys forever."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Fenrir said. "I think we could handle forever if it was with someone like you. So cheery and damn optimistic about everything."

Mayura chuckled. The tears from before had dried considerably. "I'm definitely not sorry about that."

"Don't be."

Again, he somehow smirked at her before sauntering away. "See you around, mystery girl."

The dog disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. After a few deep breaths, Mayura did the same in the opposite direction.

 **-END-**

Writing for Fenrir's dialogue is fun. Writing for his personality is hard.

I hope you enjoyed!


	4. Goodbye

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Disclaimer: The plot and characters of "Mythical Detective Loki / RAGNAROK / Gods of the New World" belong to author Sakura Kinoshita. This story is written for fun and out of love for the series.

It's exactly a year later, and I have no excuse. I finished college and write professionally now (but not as a fiction author lol. I wish!) When you write all day for work, it's hard to write for fun. I recently got a surge of inspiration, and I'm back!

Anyway, if you're still here, it's a year later. It's finally time for Mayura to say goodbye to her best friend.

 **-START-**

Mayura stood in front of the door to Loki's bedroom.

She heaved a sigh, attempting to expel the dread already pooling like a lead ball in her stomach and chest and heart, filling every ounce of her body with misery. The woman felt nauseous and just wanted to sit down. She longed to have one more day with them, or come back tomorrow once she had time to sort out what she really want to say. Sadly, there was no time for that. She didn't know why…it's just the impression she got from them.

Just like Yamino said, all the crying had already given way to a splitting headache in her temple that made it hard to focus and even harder to stand proudly like she wished she could throughout the misery she was being put through.

She'd already said goodbye to his… _sons._

She swallowed a lump in her throat, but only felt dryness instead of relief. Now, she had to face him.

 _Loki;_ the Norse god of trickery and the bringer of hellish destruction to all the Nine Worlds, including her home. He was the cause of Ragnarok. He was the ultimate evil.

 _Loki;_ her best friend that had saved her life on many occasions and welcomed her into his world with open arms despite the hardship she must have caused.

 _So, he must be returning that favor,_ Mayura thought bitterly. She ground her teeth in pure rage the more she thought about seeing him. Before she changed her mind, she seized the doorknob and twisted it violently. The door gave way and she shoved herself inside.

The same little boy stood there. The small frame stood before a window, the sunlight creating a blinding aura. His arms were relaxed at his sides, and his face was turned away. Even when she busted through the door, he said nothing. Instead, he slowly turned to her with an emptiness she'd never seen before clearly visible on his face. He smiled joylessly at her and she continued to stand, fists clenched.

A solid minute passed where they did nothing but stand and stare at each other. With each second, a seemingly ten pound weight of tension dragged down her shoulders, until she could no longer hold her head up.

"Loki," she finally relented. "Please _say_ something! Don't you have anything to say to me after everything that's happened?"

The request came out as a sob.

"I thought you deserved to speak first," he said coolly.

She bit into her lip to force back the scalding words she desperately wanted to throw at him. However, she held in her fury and tried to stay composed. She knew why they had to leave, but the more she thought about it, why did they have to leave now? What was the urgency?

"I need to know," she began hesitantly, her crimson gaze averted to the tips of her shoes. Loki's gaze, on the contrary, bore into her severely. Almost every ounce of strength she had was going into not allowing her voice to tremble. "I know you've told me why you have to leave. You've also told me why you never told me your secret, but I…need to know more."

Loki's brow lofted. His lack of emotion was turning her smoldering anger into blazing fury, but she kept the flames buried for the moment. She had to. She couldn't explode yet…she had too much to say to him. She had too much to yell at him, more specifically.

"You'll have to be more specific," Loki said slowly.

"You're going back to Asgard to help quell tensions…to make a peace offering," she said, and Loki nodded in return. She assumed that met she was correct, at least thus far. Too bad they had barely scratched the surface. "Why must you return this second?"

"Why prolong what needs to happen?" he replied shortly, and she couldn't help but stiffen. He'd always been curt with his words, but it puzzled her beyond words why he was the one expressing anger. She was the one who deserved to be angry, and she was still holding in her fury. "Ragnarok would destroy all the Nine Worlds, including Midgard. If we stay, the future is uncertain. We would be risking the lives of every living being. If we go now, now that we finally have the opportunity…perhaps we can make things better."

She smiled, feeling stupid all of a sudden. When he phrased it like that, their departure felt selfless.

"That's very nice of you," she said sincerely. Loki wasn't fooled. He held his gaze on her for a few more seconds.

"I can tell you have more questions," he said, his usually calm voice strident enough to pierce the deafening quiet. "Just ask them."

The woman nodded, lifting her crimson eyes to meet his. Her gaze was lowered, but dark. "How long have you known that you'd someday have to go back?"

Loki paused before answering.

"For a long while, we were dodging assassins and fearing for our lives," he explained. "If you would have known about us, it would have made you a target. We struggled to defend just ourselves. We knew we weren't strong enough to protect you as well. We needed…we _wanted_ to keep you safe."

He hadn't answered her question, but at least he'd provided some kind of clarification on why they hadn't gone back sooner.

Plus, his logic did make sense. It would have been irresponsible of them to endanger her, a mortal, by telling her information about their past in Asgard. Besides, she didn't even have the right to know. The confidential nature of their past and their desire to keep it secret for the protection of her, and other humans, wasn't what angered her.

"Even if you didn't tell me about your true identity, you could have still told me that you expected you'd have to leave someday," she said, struggling to find the right words. Loki and his family were just in their actions, but she still felt immense misery at their departure. She wished that she didn't, but no matter how good their defense was, she was still livid. "Did you not consider that this sudden decision would hurt me? That I wouldn't have all these questions? Everything I knew and thought about all of you was a big lie. I can't just quietly accept that."

The trickster god sighed loudly, finally lifting his arms to cross them over his chest. Mayura kept staring at him, not allowing their eye contact to be broken. When Loki averted his gaze, she followed his eyes and even took a few steps closer.

"I know you must be angry…" he muttered.

"I am not," she denied. "Just…confused."

"About what, then?"

There were no holes in their story. They had made no lapses in logic, and they were doing what was best for the Nine Worlds. There was no rational reason to object to them leaving.

Loki finally relented and stared cast his gaze to the ground. "Perhaps we should have just wiped your memories. I don't blame you for feeling this way. I can only imagine the pain you're going through."

The woman snapped. Her self-control faded and all she could think about were the words she truly wanted to say, not the façade she wanted to put on for him.

"You know what…I _am_ angry," she said, surrendering to her true feelings. "I'm furious with all three of you. I know you guys need to go back, and I know why you kept everything a secret, but…why aren't you guys sad?"

It was Loki's turn to be short with her. "Excuse me?"

"I feel like an idiot," she clarified. "I've been your friend, treating you like a child and seeing you guys as this quirky little family. I never even knew Fenrir could talk. I'm sure you guys had a good laugh about how stupid I was not realizing anything. All that talk about me being your assistant was just you guys playing along with a child's fantasy. Now all those terrible mysteries and strange cases make sense. I've been an idiotic hindrance all this time, right?"

Loki opened his mouth to object, but Mayura stopped him by raising her voice.

"You guys are probably thrilled to leave me behind," she said. "After all, I'm so much of an afterthought, you couldn't even bear to make up an excuse."

"We _never_ thought you were an idiot," Loki fired back with more bite than he intended. "You're being ridiculous. As for not making up an excuse or plan…we thought about it. We didn't want to treat you like a child. You deserved to know the truth. We trust you with the truth."

"You trust me?" she asked with a wry laugh. "Maybe you shouldn't trust me. After all, why should I care about you three when I was just a temporary distraction in your busy lives?"

"That's not what I meant," he replied. Loki's tone changed from one of anger to quiet desperation. "We didn't think we'd ever have to leave Earth. We thought this could be our new home, and that living here might circumvent Ragnarok. We thought, eventually, we would tell you everything once the danger passed. I promise that's true, Mayura. I promise. You would be the first and only human to know the truth. You still are."

Mayura shook her head. Her brain pleaded with her heart to understand that their actions had been rational. If they had been complete strangers, she'd be embracing their act as one of bravery and selflessness. The argument was futile because they weren't strangers. They were her friends. They were her _only_ friends.

"I know I shouldn't be angry," she said, voice trembling. "But I am. I really am."

Loki nodded, closing his eyes. He didn't try to argue with her. He knew he deserved every dagger of fury Mayura shot at him. That was all the permission Mayura needed to finally let loose the words that had been clawing at her lips to escape.

"I _hate_ this," she cried, her voice swelling with loathing. "I hate you! I hate _all three of you!_ How could you do this? I thought we were friends… _I trusted you!_ "

Her yelling sent Yamino and Fenrir running from down the hall towards Loki's bedroom. The trickster lifted an arm, using magic to slam the door shut before they could enter. Seeing the supernatural feat didn't make Mayura stutter.

"No, please, let them come in," she said, straightening her back and finding her prideful posture.

Silently, Loki gestured his arm towards the door and it quietly opened. Both sons raced inside and went to their father, looking at Mayura with expressions that ranged from angry to hurt.

"Miss Mayura…" Yamino said slowly, immediately noticing her anger. It hadn't been present when they had last talked, and he could only imagine that she'd been hiding it the whole time, hiding it deep within her heart. The thought tore him up. "I'm so sorry. This isn't fair to you."

She stayed silent, not wanting to give them any gratification or closure. She stared ahead, refusing to reply.

"Mystery girl, I'm sorry it's gotta be like this," Fenrir replied, moving his canine body in front of his father. "Don't just yell at the old man. Yell at all of us. We're all responsible for this decision. You should chew us all out."

Mayura cringed, because she knew there was no good reason to chew them out. They hadn't done anything wrong, and yet they had done nothing right.

The woman shut her eyes and turned to walk out of the room, not saying another word.

"Mayura!" Loki called, pushing past his children to race after her.

By the time he had followed her down the hall, she was already down the stairs and heading out the front door. The boy continued after her as quick as possible. On the last few steps of the staircase, he reached out and grabbed her sleeve. Mayura whipped her head over her shoulder, a wild expression on her face. She could see Yamino and Fenrir watching from atop the stairs.

Loki's stared back at her warmly. His eyes were sorrowful and there was no smile on his face, but there was warmth and love present in his expression. The trickster loosened his grip on her sleeve to take her hand one last time.

"Goodbye, Mayura."

She yanked her arm away from him and turned away wordlessly.

Mayura started down the stairs and ran out of the courtyard. She pushed the gate open easily and slammed it shut, hearing it's loud rattle a few inches behind her.

Finally, she stopped to breathe. The fresh air seemed to sober her and bring her back to reality. The pounding in her head ceased and her heart slowed.

How could they be so emotionless? They'd looked somewhat hurt, but the least they could have done was show some kind of remorse beyond basic apologizing. It had made her feel so insignificant. She had every right to be angry with her them, but as she replayed the scenario in her head, she realized that she had reacted the way she did because she hadn't been completely honest.

She didn't hate them at all.

She would miss them, and although she wished they had handled the situation better, they were leaving to save the lives of many people and fates of many worlds.

They had attempted to treat her like an adult by being honest with her. Instead, she hid how she felt and seemed to absorb all the sadness they didn't have time to express, wringing it out at the very end of their meeting like a stubborn child.

Perhaps they hadn't showed the same amount of misery because they didn't have to time to. Perhaps they didn't want to make the goodbye harder than it needed to be. It would certainly make it easier to say goodbye to ex-friends than family. If that was true, they'd been good-intentioned but absolutely incorrect.

The woman heaved a sigh and knew she needed to go back.

After all, she hadn't even said goodbye.

"Loki…everyone, I'm so sorry," she said, going to turn around and face them again. "I just need some time to think. I'm sorry for…"

The agency had vanished. All that remained of the formerly massive structure was a large patch of land. The property looked like it had never even been disturbed. Healthy grass and small bundles of wildflowers were present, swaying gently in the breeze as Mayura stared ahead.

The woman fell to her knees, not feeling the pain of the asphalt digging into her bare flesh. She closed her eyes and opened them again to see the same sight as before; barren land and no agency. It was just a patch of grass in a concrete metropolis.

She closed her eyes again, and opened them just to be sure. Her hands flew to her lips, her last words of hatred still lingering there, making her want to wretch. The woman raised her fists and pounded them into the dirt, grunting through the pain of the cement and the agony of heartache. She repeated the action until the feeling in her hands ceased and her jagged ground broke her skin. Her newly numb hands covered her face as she bellowed with torment into the desolate night on the now lonely street.

 _Please…please don't go yet_ , she begged one more time. She lifted her crimson gaze to the dark sky. She saw nothing above her.

Mayura lowered her gaze and stared at the vacant land before her. Slowly, she got back on her feet and walked to where the agency's old gate would have been at the edge of the sidewalk. She longed to grip those iron bars again, but she just stood, knowing it wasn't possible and never again would be. Finally, Mayura blinked one last time, and opened to eyes to the fogginess of tears.

 _Goodbye, Loki._

No reply ever came.

 **-FINISH-**

I listened to Fire Emblem: Fates song "Lost in Thoughts All Alone" while writing this and it fits oddly well with in terms of tone. Plus it's just a damn fine song.

I'm also on a bit of an FE kick, so if you are as well, you might see me around that side of the site as well. :3c

Next time (I promise): Road to Recovery


	5. Road to Recovery

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Disclaimer: The plot and characters of "Mythical Detective Loki / RAGNAROK / Gods of the New World" belong to author Sakura Kinoshita. This story is written for fun and out of love for the series.

Author's Note: I promised more frequent updates, and I'm going to deliver.

I can't believe how quickly people read this after I updated. Thank you all so much for your support, even after a year hiatus!

 **-START-**

"Yeah, yeah…I'll email you the updated report as soon as I get home," the blond man said, holding his cellphone to his ear as he walked down the quiet, residential street. One hand held his expensive phone and the other held his pristine school bag. His trousers and blazer were a distinct shade of teal that belonged exclusively to a local high school. In a few months, he'd be shedding the uniform for college attire.

"I have it completed, I just need to adjust the final amount after today's meeting," he said, droning on against his will. He was silent for a second, listening to the caller continue to nag him before responding impatiently with, "Yes, yes. Don't patronize me."

In a way, Koutarou Kakinouchi was thankful for the opportunity to gain career experience by working with his parents in their successful family business. On the other hand, it was a nightmare.

"Father, I have to go," Koutarou finally said, ending the call as quickly as possible. He let out a groan and kept walking. Late nights at the high school or his family's office were something he hardly looked forward to. The one part of the experience that he legitimately enjoyed was the quiet nighttime walk back home. Unfortunately, it was usually interrupted by at least one phone call.

Thankfully, the neighborhood was nice to walk through. Everything was so quiet and desolate that it gave him time to think. It was one of the few times during his busy day where he could feel grounded in reality and get some perspective of the world, rather than stressing out about miniscule decimals and digits adding up on a spreadsheet.

The impending dread of heading home made him decide to take a detour through another neighborhood. The longer he could walk alone, the better.

As he continued down the slightly darker street, he noticed another shape walking just a few houses away. At first, he could only sigh with dread. The man really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, even a stranger. Hopefully it wasn't a familial acquaintance he'd have to put on a chummy front for. It was a huge annoyance of his.

He kept walking toward the shape until he was able to make out a vague silhouette. It was a girl with long hair and a very familiar school uniform. Her shoulders were slumped and she walked at a pace slower than an amble. He even saw her shoulder graze the concrete fence along the roadway, but it didn't seem to faze her.

As he got closer, his face paled once he realized who it was.

"Daidouji? Is that you?"

Koutarou jogged up and across the street to meet the young lady, who was in the same grade as him. Although he knew her well, he still didn't call her by her first name (although she consistently referred to him by his first name, much to his occasional annoyance.) Still, she was a good person and she was probably one of the few people at their school he could enjoy talking to. Seeing anyone in such a dazed state would be unsettling, but seeing the usually bubbly Mayura look so depressed was beyond jarring for him.

When he noticed how unsteady she was on her feet and how red her eyes were, he shoved his cell phone in his pocket and put his school bag on the ground. The woman swayed forward awkwardly, and Koutarou grabbed her shoulders to steady her before she could fall.

"Koutarou?" he asked, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. She spoke slowly, as if it was painful to talk, which it was. The woman felt as if her throat was stuffed with straw. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," he said with a nod. "Daidouji, what are you doing walking around this late at night by yourself? What happened?"

 _God, she looks exhausted. What happened to her?_

"Oh, I was just heading home," she said weakly as she visibly struggled to keep steady. The world seemed like it was spinning, and the pounding in her head made it hard to speak or keep her eyes open. Koutarou could tell his friend had obviously been in some kind of distress. He'd seen the way she'd been walking down the street and knew she wasn't just suffering from exhaustion.

"Can you stand?" he asked firmly.

"Yeah, I can," she said slowly. She wasn't sure if that was true, but the woman was willing to try.

When she placed her hands on his blazer and for extra support, it was then that he noticed her bloody hands and badly scrapped knees.

His eyes widened at the sight. "You're bleeding!"

The concern in his voice was thick as he took her hands and examined them thoroughly. The cuts weren't deep, but there were a lot of them. He could also see dirt in the wounds that could lead to a nasty infection if it wasn't cleaned out soon. The same could be said for her knees, which were only slightly worse for wear. " _What_ happened? _Why_ are you hurt?"

Mayura lowered her eyes uncomfortably and tried to shift away from him. Koutarou released her hands, still waiting for an answer. The man wasn't going to force her to talk, but he knew her well enough to know something bad had happened.

"I…I fell," she lied pathetically. It was obvious from the annoyance on Koutarou's face that he didn't believe her. Falling explained the cuts, but didn't explain her puffy eyes and ruddy complexion. Mayura hadn't looked in a mirror, but she knew her face was probably a telling factor that she'd been crying.

Instead of calling her out, he sighed and picked up his school bag.

"You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to," he said. "You should go home, though. It's unsafe for you to walk alone. I'll walk with you."

"You don't have to do that," Mayura replied miserably, not wanting to bother him.

More accurately, she didn't want to speak to him at all. She didn't want to go home and see her father, because she knew he'd ask her what happened. The young woman didn't want to talk to anyone about what she'd just gone through. Nobody would understand, and she knew for a fact that almost anyone she confided in would probably say she was overreacting.

"Come on," he urged. The man reached out to take her hand for extra guidance.

When he touched it, she hissed in the surge of pain that it caused. He immediately released her damaged appendage, and she adamantly told him she could walk by herself. The woman took a few steps forward and Koutarou matched her pace, reluctant but not wanting to pick a fight. Judging from her physical state, a fight was the last thing she needed at the moment. He agreed with her silently walked with her.

The two walked along the roadway in silence for a few minutes. Koutarou kept his head up to watch the streets while Mayura kept her gaze on the pavement, trying to focus on walking and just getting home. Each step was harder than the last.

While she didn't vocalize it, she was thankful Koutarou had dropped the subject of what happened. While he could be a huge jerk, she did admire his ability to be flexible with people, especially in these circumstances. What came off as uninterested coolness to most people was a legitimate consideration of her feelings, at least in this specific situation.

 _He actually cares, unlike some other people._

She shook the nasty thought from her head, and Koutarou threw a quizzical glance her way. Still, he remained silent.

 _No._ _Stop blaming them. They did nothing wrong! They did..._

All of a sudden, a disturbing thought crept into Mayura's head. It forced her to slow her steps, which Koutarou did as well. She slowly turned her wide-eyed attention to him, who maintained a look of confusion.

She realized with immense discomfort that this wasn't the first time she'd run into Koutarou in this part of town late at night. They'd met under similar circumstances before.

The young man always stayed back at his family's office or was involved in study groups after school that routinely kept him out late. She would also stay at Enjaku Detective Agency for long hours into the night, sometimes past midnight. She had run into Koutarou before, around the same time, while running back home from the agency. If they'd met before under such similar circumstances, why would he be so surprised to see her? Was it because of her disheveled appearance, or was it because of something else? Did he not remember?

Her blood ran cold at the last question.

"Koutarou?" she asked, her voice a low tremble. She feared the worst.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know a place called Enjaku Detective Agency?" she asked slowly. "I just came from there. It's up the street."

The blond man studied her face a moment. He then squared his shoulders and, to Mayura's horror, shook his head briefly. "No."

The statement was like a brick across her cheek. Her voice cracked at the next word. "What?"

"I've never heard of that place," he said slowly, raising a brow at her reaction. "There's nothing up the street. There haven't been any businesses there for a while."

 _No way_ , she thought. _You have to be kidding me._

"Don't you remember?" she asked hesitantly. There was no way he could simply forget. They'd met numerous times during his walks home after work. They'd bump into each other and always talk about school. It wasn't an everyday occurrence, but it had happened more than once. He'd always tease her about spending too much time with that, 'child detective.' Loki even called him 'Kou' in return, as a cute little nickname. He'd claimed multiple times that he didn't like it, but she'd always suspected otherwise.

"It's right up the street," she repeated in desperation, positive she must have sounded insane. Koutarou's face was impossible to read. "You've been there before! The last time I bumped into you like this, I was walking back from the agency after school. One time you stopped by for afternoon tea. Right?"

He remained silent, watching her keenly.

"You have to remember," she pleaded, feeling whatever confidence she had left slowly slipping from her. "Don't you remember Loki, and his butler Mr. Yamino? What about their dog? We all vacationed at your family's lake house. How could you forget?"

Koutarou's brows knitted together, and he finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but I have no clue what you're talking about," he replied with obvious discomfort.

Mayura's stomach dropped and a loud ringing started in her ears.

She could see Koutarou's lips moving, but couldn't hear any of the words coming out of his mouth. The strident ringing started in her skull and blocked out any other noise or logic that wanted to get through. The woman stared ahead blankly, thoughts swirling in her head like an aggressive tornado. Everything was moving so fast and so crazily that she couldn't make sense of anything, and all she could do was stand in place and tremble. The shaking started with her hands and slowly overtook her entire body.

"Daidouji?" he asked. He saw the young woman start to shake. He tensed and took a step towards her, hand outstretched to her. "Are you okay?"

Slowly, Mayura raised her hands to either side of her head and clutched at her hair, pulling and seething with a mixture of anger and despair. She hunched over, feeling nauseous. The woman's hands and face burned like fire but her body crawled with intense chills.

Koutarou was at her side in a second, grabbing her wrists. "Daidouji? Hey, Mayura? What are you doing?"

 _They wiped everyone else's memories? I'm the only one that remembers them?_

Mayura tugged at her tangled locks, and shook her head frantically, like she was trying to shake away the clawing fingers of insanity that seemed to be holding her. Without Koutarou holding her back, she might have ripped out her hair or barreled over from weakness. In her head, she screamed for an explanation. If her friends could somehow hear her desperate thoughts, they chose not to reply to her.

Almost never before had she felt such anger and betrayal, especially at the hands of a loved one. There had been one other time long ago when she'd felt similar, but she couldn't bear more painful memories. She couldn't bear any more painful memories of _her_ , the only other person who had been ripped from her life, leaving her a mess of anger and hurt.

"Mayura! Stop that!" Koutarou continued to yell, holding her hands tightly as she continued to thrash against him.

 _How could they do this? Are they trying to torture me?_

"Let go!" she screamed. She channeled all her anger to Koutarou, someone else that she thought she could trust. Now, she didn't know. If his memories were wiped, what else about him was different? The man before her was her friend, but if he didn't remember Enjaku or anything about Loki, there was nothing he could do to help her. Absolutely nothing. She couldn't confide in him or mourn with him. They could have spared his memories, but they had decided for some reason to erase their existence from him. She and Koutarou could have supported each other, but they had ripped away that opportunity.

With immense pain, she realized that one of her only lifelines of hope had suddenly been severed.

"You're going to hurt yourself," Koutarou yelled back, desperately trying to keep her already damaged hands from ripping out her hair or worse. This time, his frantic words reached her and she stopped fighting back. Before she could start up again, her gaze started to get cloudy. Exhaustion and fatigue were finally setting in after the emotional roller coaster she'd been thrust into so unwillingly.

She leaned forward in an effort to walk and ultimately lost her balance. Koutarou immediately caught her, holding her limp body over his knee.

" _Mayura!"_ Koutarou yelled, holding her close and desperately shaking her shoulder. "Hey, get a hold of yourself! Wake up!"

She winced, looking up at Koutarou's worried face. The way he called her name reminded her of how Loki had cried out for her in desperation before she stormed out. It was a plea that she had ignored.

"Koutarou…" she whispered, eyes glassy and barely open. Each word was laced with sadness and, even worse, self-doubt. "Do you really not remember?"

His blue eyes narrowed at her. The logical solution would have been to lie to her, at least until she was in a better state of acceptance. Clearly, something had caused her some trauma, and his mild concern had now blossomed into full-blown worry. Before he could stop himself, he looked down at her weak face and spoke with the honesty she deserved.

"I don't remember," he said truthfully. His head hung, and he knew that hadn't been the answer she wanted to hear. The young man felt like he had disappointed her, but he'd told her the truth. "I'm so sorry, I don't."

Each word was like a knife in Mayura's heart.

"We have to get you home," he said frantically, arm going around her shoulders to hoist her up. The man attempted to lift her back onto her feet, but failed when she spilled back onto the ground like a ragdoll. This time, Koutarou was better able to catch her before she hit the ground.

He yelled her name over and over, pleading with her to stay awake, but she never replied.

There wasn't a shred of mental or physical strength in her. Too much had happened…too much had been torn away from her. Even if she made it home, nothing would get better. Going home and crying to her father or confiding in Koutarou wasn't going to bring back what she truly wanted.

Before she could further debate the cruelty of the situation and her newfound isolation among one of the few friends she had left, a creeping darkness fully consumed Mayura's blurry vision. After hours of continuous stress, her body finally shut down.

Slowly, Koutarou's voice faded out again and Mayura fell unconscious on the same and only street in the city that used to bring her endless joy and happiness.

 **-FINISH-**

I really like Koutarou, and I feel like he's a good guy that would at least try to be supportive.

Next time: Wake Up


	6. Wake Up

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Matantei Loki / RAGNAROK / Shin Sekai no Kamigami belongs to its author, Sakura Kinoshita. I take no credit for the creation of the characters or plot. This story is written purely for fun. I take credit for the story, and that art in the thumbnail, and that's it.

Author's Note: It's been a rough/busy week, so I'm hoping writing this will make me feel a little better. Fingers crossed!

 **-START-**

A dull ache throbbed through Mayura's body with each beat of her heart. The woman didn't have the strength to open her eyes immediately, but could feel the familiar material of her bedsheets and accustomed give of the mattress beneath with. She was in her bedroom back at the temple.

With all the strength she could manage, the woman opened her sanguine eyes and rose onto her elbows.

Just as she thought, she home. The curtains over her window were drawn and, beside her futon, she could see an assortment of medicine bottles, canisters and other unfamiliar knickknacks that she couldn't recall being there hours before when she'd left for school in the morning. She tried to squint and focus her vision. "What the…?"

"Mayura?"

The sound of her father's voice redirected her attention to the opposite side of her bed. Misao was slumped beside her, both of his clammy hands clutching one of hers. She immediately saw the plum-colored circles under his eyes and knew he hadn't slept. The poor man must have been worried sick.

"Papa?" she asked.

"Yes, it's me," he hastily responded.

Mayura groaned, attempting to sit up more before a cough shook her body. Misao was on his feet immediately, knowing exactly what she needed.

"Water, of course," he said, running out of the room to fetch a glass. He returned seconds later and helped her drink.

"Slowly, slowly," he urged when she tried to drink larger gulps. She couldn't help it. The sensation of pins and needles was in her throat. Her immense thirst and her father's evident distress clued her in to the depressing suggestion that she must have been out for quite a while. The last thing she remembered with bumping into Koutarou after leaving behind the agency…or, what _used_ to be the agency.

The cold water cleared her senses and, after finishing the entire glass, she was cognizant enough to recall the events leading up to her collapse. With a heavy heart, she remembered asking Koutarou that fateful question and hearing the dreaded answer that had sent her spiraling into despair.

" _Don't you remember?"_ she had asked desperately.

" _I'm sorry,"_ he had said. _"I have no idea what you're talking about."_

Mayura clenched her fists and swallowed the agony she felt. No, she couldn't remember that now, not when her father was sick with worry and nearly broken to pieces beside her. Thinking about Loki and the others would have to wait.

"Papa, how long was I out?"

Misao sat the empty glass on the nightstand and went back to squeezing her cold hand. "You've been out since yesterday night."

"What time is it now?"

"It's almost four in the afternoon," he said, gesturing to the window, where the rays of sunlight were tinged with vibrant shades of orange and pink against the flimsy material of the drapes.

Her eyes widened with shock. That meant she'd been unconscious for almost a whole day. Thankfully yesterday had been a Friday, so she hadn't missed school. She supposed that was the only silver-lining to the situation. Still, that also met her father had spent an entire day doting on her, not know what had happened.

"I was about to take you to the hospital," he said slowly, voice vacillating as he struggled to find words. "But I thought…if I did…that would mean you were _really_ …"

Mayura's eyes softened at her father's display of emotion, feeling beyond humbled by how distraught he was. She also felt an intense pang if guilt in her chest that almost rivaled the physical pain still present in her body. The last few hours must have been difficult for him, trying to decide whether to keep her at home or if he should take her to the hospital. He'd had to make the same decision with her mother almost two decades before.

"Oh, Papa," she moaned, face slumping into her hands. "I'm so sorry. I made you worry."

"Don't apologize," he insisted quickly. "No, Mayura. You did nothing wrong."

 _I did…nothing wrong? That's right. I guess I didn't._

She felt the urge to cry, but only felt discomfort when she willed the tears to come and give her some kind of relief. Her eyes were dry and itchy from all the tears she'd previously cried, and she suspected she had none left. Her palms rubbed her eyes mercilessly, trying to alleviate the sensation so she could compose herself. The pain was only half as sobering as she would have liked.

"Do you want any food?" he asked her.

She returned the question with a shake of the head, and Misao fell silent. He watched as his daughter stared ahead, wondering what she was thinking about and what had to be going through her head.

He remained at Mayura's side through the awkward silence as she tried to gather her thoughts. Although he longed desperately to know what happened, he had a feeling Mayura wouldn't want to talk about it. Depending on what had happened, he wanted to know. Not because he was curious or even because he felt entitled as a parent, but because he longed with all of his heart and soul to help her. If he could do anything to help her, he would do it without skipping a beat.

Finally, he decided to break the silence to see if he could gently prod her into conversation.

"Your friend from school is the one who brought you here last night," he clarified, carefully watching her face to make sure he didn't say anything to upset her.

"Koutarou," she replied, nodding briefly. "Yes, I remember running into him."

"I was kind of surprised to see him," Misao replied, his laugh humorless as he picked up the empty glass and went to refill it with some water. Mayura blinked, finding her father's answer a little bit strange. There seemed to be no context for why her father, who had met and knew Kakinouchi, would find it weird that he would help her out.

She reached up to grab the sleeve of her father's work clothes, gently halting his departure and pulling him down to eye level.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a lofted brow. "Did you…think he wouldn't help me?"

"No, no," Misao replied with a shrug, smiling softly at her. "I know he's a good kid. It's not that. It's just that when he brought you here, he said he found you down the road. I figured someone from that detective agency would have helped you."

Mayura's heart pounded loudly in her ears. She whipped her gaze back to her father, sanguine eyes boring into his. Wildness tinged her stare.

The only word she could manage was a whisper. "What?"

Misao shrugged indifferently, not noticing the urgency in his daughter's eyes. He seemed distracted with measuring some medicine he was keeping nearby in case she woke up. Hopefully it would help her with any possible headaches or migraines.

"You went to that agency after school today, right?"

Mayura nodded weakly.

"Well, I figured since you collapsed near the agency, that they would have been the ones to notice and bring you home," Misao said, tipping the medicine bottle over so that to pills rolled into his hand. It was some medicine she sometimes used for her migraines. Misao had brought it to his daughter's room (along with other medicine bottles and knickknacks) so he could immediately cater to anything she might require upon awakening.

"Don't tell me, that kid detective was too busy to help you? I should walk over there and…"

When he looked back at Mayura, her lips were twisted into a pout and her pink brows were intensely furrowed together, creating harsh wrinkles between her eyes. Her bottom lip shook furiously and her hands were balled into fists. He'd never seen his Mayura look so frazzled.

"Mayura…?"

At the mention of her name, her face slackened. Her anger turned to sadness, and she bit her bottom lip to hold back a sob. Lunging forward, she wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders. Her strength almost knocked him back, but he managed to stay upright and return the embrace.

"W-Woah, Mayura!"

 _Papa remembers. He remembers them_ , she thought, her voice singing in relief inside her throbbing head.

The man was utterly confused by the hug, but didn't dare object. Instead, he simply held her close and cradled her as gently as he could. The young woman gripped her father furiously, face pressed against his shoulder and hands gripping the material of his robes shard enough that she could have shredded the material to ribbons with a little more force.

 _Someone remembers._

"Are you okay?" he asked, running a hand up and down her back in a consoling gesture. Suddenly, he tensed. "Don't tell me…did someone at that agency hurt you? Is that why they didn't help you?"

She wasn't sure how to answer that statement. It was neither true or false.

"Damn them!" Misao cursed, shooting to his feet and doing to march out the door. "Of course it was! I should have known better than to trust those dastards. I'll go there now and…"

"It's gone," she interrupted, her weaker voice slicing his sentence short with the swiftness of a dagger. Misao halted in the doorway and didn't immediately turn around, as if he was mentally trying to piece together the scenario.

Finally, he turned to face her again. His visage was degrees less angry and much more sympathetic.

"It's gone?" he asked. "What's gone?"

"The agency."

"…Enjaku Detective Agency? It's gone?"

Mayura nodded, and said in a cracked voice, "Yes, Papa."

In that moment, everything came together. In a flash, Misao's anger was replaced with understanding and compassion. He immediately approached his daughter's bed again and kneeled down. Confusion still marred his face, and it was clear he was withholding at least a million questions.

"But…you just said you went there after school…" he said, unsure of how what she was saying was possible, How could Mayura have visited the agency earlier in the day, and then say it had vanished? Also, why was she so surprised when he brought up the business, or the child detective he had such mixed feelings about? It didn't make sense, but his clarity on the situation didn't matter nearly as much to him as his daughter's sanity.

Instead of interrogating her, he just smiled softly and said in a quiet voice. "I do remember them, Mayura. I promise you that."

Her eyes lit up at his answer, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled. There was a faint glimmer of hope at the end of the swirling tunnel of gloom that had devoured her hours before.

"Good," she managed to say, leaning over to hug her father again. This time, Misao returned the hug and held his daughter closer.

" _Thank God."_

 **-FINISH-**

I've got a hellish workweek coming up. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I cut it short. I hate to do that, but hopefully I can offer longer content next time. Sorry guys.

Next chapter, we'll be paying Loki and company a visit in Asgard.

Next time: The Stars Above


	7. The Stars Above

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World are not mine, and I claim absolutely no ownership to any part of the franchise. This fanfiction is written for fun and out of love for the characters.

Author's Note: In this chapter, we're going to meet some of the gods from the Gods of the New World season. The good news is, since this story has already veered off the canon route, the characters will be introduced here differently than in the actual series. So… **minor character-related spoilers for Gods of the New World.** The plot is safe, haha!

Enjoy!

 **-START-**

Emotions ran high as Loki and his sons made their way across the astral plane before them, a light snowfall caressing them with each stride. Mere minutes before, the trio had left one of their most precious friends on Midagrd in order to cross dimensions and materialize in the realm of Asgard. The sour parting was still fresh in their minds. To say it had been an easy goodbye or provided any kind of closure would be sugar-coating a falsehood.

The three had been silent since their arrival in Asgard. They had traversed the Rainbow Bridge without issue and were easily able to obtain garb suited to the snowy travel ahead of them. Fenrir retained the form of a small puppy and was carried easily by Yamino as they walked. Father and son wore matching cloaks of matte black with a heavy gold trim. The lining was furred, but didn't provide much protection from the chilly wind.

The cold temperatures were the last thing on Loki's mind as they navigated the plane, twisting and turning along a path of lush evergreens and mistletoe. The young boy was as taut as the string of a violin, and his fingernails left blood crescents in the palms of his hands. He was physically unable to relax or find a semblance of peace.

 _What we did was wrong,_ he thought bitterly. The young boy tilted his emerald eyes skyward and squinted. _It couldn't have been avoided, but it was wrong._

The snow crunched beneath the soles of his boots as he walked. A few spears behind him, the steady sound of Yamino's footsteps were the only thing that gave him and flicker of happiness. Although he had lost a friend, his family was still with him. Most of his family, at least. A sigh tugged at his lips.

"Master Loki."

Yamino's voice was as soft as ever, yet the silence that had stretched between the three for so long made his temperate speech sound like a large balloon popping in a quiet room. It was strident and piercing enough to awaken Loki from his daze.

"Yes?" Loki responded dimly. He looked back at Yamino, and saw the same sadness he felt in his own heart reflected in his son's oceanic eyes. Another pang of guilt threatened to rock his chest as he forced a small smile. "What is it?"

"I believe I see it," Yamino said quietly, lifting a hand to point to a jagged structure in the skyline. The shorter figure followed the man's gesture and was able to spy a building in the distance.

Although Loki's childlike form heavily impaired his ability to see over the tree tops, he could see enough of the castle outline to know Yamino was correct. After walking for a few hours, they seemed to have finally reached their destination. In the distance, outlined against the pastel-gradient sky, was Valhalla.

The massive hall was the home of the Valkyries and was presided over by the All-Father Odin. The trio had made a beeline for the location, knowing that Valhalla was the most likely location to find the all-powerful deity and his family. Unlike Odin himself, Loki and his sons didn't have the omnipotent vision or mobile minions to search him out. Valhalla was merely the most logical location on a long list of possibilities. The trickster god desperately hoped he was there. The circumvention of Ragnarok was of massive importance to all the gods, and he imagined that the Norns had already told the All-Father the news. He also hoped Odin wouldn't leave his royal post at such a crucial time.

The massive building was akin to a large and ornate dining hall, filled with spirits who had been led to the kingdom after dying in combat. The Einherjar and Valkyries were a large population of Valhalla, although it also served as a notable meeting location for the other gods of the Nine Realms. Some members of Odin's large family also resided there, including his sons Vali and Vidar.

"Do you think Odin will even be there?" Fenrir asked tentatively, sensing the tension still lingering in the air. "I know he's the All-Father…but does he even know we're coming?"

"He must know," Loki asserted firmly as they approached a massive stone staircase. The large structure carried the three of them up the steep hill to the front doors of the massive palace. A zephyr carried the fragrance of damp earth as they continued up the steep staircase. The wind caused their cloaks to billow behind them intensely enough to create a deafening tipple. Yamino and Fenrir had to strain their ears to hear their father's reply.

"Odin will be there," Loki vowed. "We must talk to him. He wouldn't abandon us at such a crucial time."

" _Right_ …" Fenrir said, casting a worried glance to his brother above him. Yamino shrugged and pressed on behind his father, not challenging the trickster's logic. He lacked the desire and even the energy to do so. It was quite possible the journey before them might be even longer and more arduous that they initially thought.

Once they approached the top of the large staircase, Loki merely had to place his small hand on the marble door to magically push it open. The stone seemed to glow beneath his fingers, shimmering bright gold and making the heavy slab seem light as air as it swung open.

Just as he'd expected, the halls of Valhalla was packed with Valkyries and Einherjar. While the brave souls feasted on food and jugs of mead, Valkyries buzzed about freely between the long tables. Some were clad in finely-crafted gowns and other still wore their chipped armor from the battlefield. Some carried large platters of fresh food while other chatted freely with some of the fallen soldiers. Loki couldn't resist smiling at the sight. It was quite nostalgic to be back.

Yamino and Fenrir had never entered Valhalla before, and to say that they were surprised to see such camaraderie and joy was a vast understatement. Compared to their sister's realm, Valhalla was like paradise.

The trio had barely taken three steps inside before they were greeted by a cheerful and familiar voice.

"Yo, Loki!"

The slightly-deepened voice of Thor, formerly known as Narugami, stood from the central table with a large grin on his face. He beckoned the trickster god and his family forward with a large wave of his arm. Like Loki, Thor was also newly attired to suit the weather and dangers of Asgard. He wore the loose clothes and leather armor of a casual warrior, with a few heavier pieces adorning his chest and arms to protect his limbs from fatal blows. Mjollnir, Thor's sacred weapon and true partner, sat lazily in Thor's right hand. He was able to turn the hammer over in his palm with just a brisk flick of his wrist.

"Ah, Narukami," Loki said with a tiny grin, greeting the mighty god with such informality that some of the nearby Einherjar gasped in disbelief. Yamino sighed deeply, hand flying to his temple. They'd hardly stepped in the front door and his father was already causing disruption. Some things never changed. "I almost didn't recognize you."

In addition to the god's new attire, he'd also aged himself up a few years. Although masquerading as a high school student had been fun, he decided it would be okay to drop the act in Asgard. The young man's face looked similar to his younger self's, with the most noticeable change being the maturity of his facial features.

Thor glimpsed down at his new form a raised a hand to bashfully rub the back of his head. "Haha, I decided there was no point in using my mortal form here, so I decided to change back to my true form."

The thunder god looked back at Loki, his honeyed eyes skimming the boy's form. "I'm a little shocked you didn't do the same. Why the child's body, Loki?"

The young boy smiled sadly and looked at the ground. "I suppose I just feel more comfortable in it. Why change? Besides, we have more important affairs to tend to. I'll change back if my powers are needed."

Thor crossed his arms and nodded. That seemed to make sense to him. Still, the sadness in Loki's words hadn't gone ignored by the trickster's good friend. "Is it because it's the form Mayura always knew you as?"

Loki didn't bother to hide his intentions. The boy dipped his head and answered solemnly. "Yes. Of course it is."

Perhaps he thought of it as some kind of sentiment to her. It was a foolish thought, but he liked to think of it as a silent honor of her friendship.

An uncomfortable silence threatened to stretch between them, but as expected, Thor smiled brightly and found a way to change the sour mood in an instant. The taller man slithered over to Yamino, who had been doing his best to try and ignore Thor as much as possible. Thor was delighted to foil this plan and instantly strike up a cheery conversation with the bespectacled man, much to Yamino's obvious chagrin.

"Hey Four-Eyes," he teased lightly. "Ha! Now that in my true form, I'm finally taller than you, huh?"

Yamino lifted his head and looked at the thunder god as calmly as possible. It wasn't that he actually _hated_ Thor. Although Ragnarok prophecy told that they were fated to kill one another on the battlefield, that prediction had now been proven false, thus giving the duo no reason to harbor any feelings of malice towards each other. There was just something about the boisterous god that always rubbed Yamino the wrong way.

However, much to Loki's surprise, his son did attempt to be amicable.

"It is quite bizarre to see you looking down at me," he said with a light chuckle. "Although, since you're technically older, I suppose it makes sense for you to look more mature."

Thor's eyes widened in surprised at Yamino's actual attempts at kindness. Although there was still a venomous undertone to his words, there was a sincerity there that Thor knew he had never felt before. Humbled, the god took a few steps back to his the serpent some space.

"Well, um…thank you," Thor muttered, the butler's kind words catching him off-guard. Although he felt awkward in that moment, his heart was overjoyed at the fact that the two could turn over a new leaf and perhaps become comrades rather than enemies. It was an appealing thought to the thunder god, and he made a mental note to start thinking of ways to repay Yamino for all the kindness (and free food) he'd been given on Earth even when the two were still lethally bound by fate.

Fenrir cast his brother a sideways glance. The puppy wasn't sure if Yamino's remarks were legitimately sweet of it was part of his younger brother's plan to get Thor off of his back. Even when Yamino felt Fenrir eyes on him and offered the puppy a cool smile, his true intentions were still as clear as mud. Perhaps Yamino took more after Loki than Fenrir initially thought.

"Quit teasing my sons," Loki chided gently. "You haven't changed a bit, have you? I miss your other form. It suited your personality more."

Thor let out a laugh and placed a heavy hand on Loki's shoulder. "Very funny, my friend. Oh! Speaking of sons, I'd like to introduce you to mine."

Loki blinked stupidly. "Wait. Your sons…"

"Don't you remember?" Thor asked merrily. "I have two sons, just like you! Come on. I'll introduce you."

Loki was pulled along against his will. Yamino sat Fenrir down onto the ground and the two gave chase to their father, not letting him out of their sight for a second. Just because they were in Valhalla hardly guaranteed their safety.

The group traveled alongside a few, long banquet tables until they arrived at the end of the hall. As Loki scanned the crowd and laid sight on the crowd, he was almost immediately able to pick out Thor's son. Both had dark brown hair like their father and, even with their back turned, he could see from their posture and demeanor that they almost exactly mirrored Thor's human form. When Thor called his sons names and they both turned to meet their father's gaze, Loki would have sworn his was looking at Narugami's twins.

"Modi, Magni," Thor's voice rang out, sweeping a hand through the air in Loki's direction. The trickster god resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the overdramatic introduction. "This is the famous trickster god, Loki!"

Loki looked at both teens with widened eyes. They both looked exactly like Narugami, although Magni's appearance was especially striking. The young man had the same chestnut hair and hazel eyes as his father, and from the ample creases in the outer corners, it was easy to see the young man was constantly smiling. Barely after Loki had bowed and greeted him, Magni reached out and patted Loki's shoulder with friendliness one didn't usually expect from a mere acquaintance. Thankfully, such cheeriness suited Magni well.

"It's so wonderful to finally meet you!" the young man said with radiance that would make the sun seem dull by comparison. "It's nice to put a name to the face. All father ever does is talk about how great of a friend you are."

A dark blush graced Thor's cheeks. "H-Hey! Magni, mind your manners!"

Loki and Yamino looked to the thunder god and snickered at his embarrassment. It appeared he was still incredibly easy to frazzle, despite his apparent maturity.

"Modi, you should say hi too," Magni said gleefully, poking the shoulder of the slightly slumped figure sitting next to him. Unlike his brother, Modi was a moody young man with eyes that were always half-lidded with disinterest and a permanent frown etched on his otherwise youthful face. His bangs were parted in the middle of his forehead, split evenly over his always furrowed brows. Modi lifted his gaze to meet Loki and managed a disinterested wave, as if she was swatting an imaginary fly.

"Nice to meet you," he managed dryly. The trickster god bit back a snarky remark and replied amicably that it was nice to make his acquaintance as well. Thor and his sons could have been triplets in terms of appearance, but Modi and Magni couldn't have been more opposite.

The trickster god introduced his own sons briefly as well. Yamino bid them a cool hello while Fenrir gave them each a happy yip. Fenrir and Thor had been close on Earth, especially since Loki and Thor were such close companions and confidants. Any friend of his amazing father had to be a good person in Fenrir's mind, and the assumption spanned generations.

As the group of six continued to converse and exchange basic pleasantries, they were interrupted by a sudden shush that overcame the crowd.

Two more figures were approaching the table. With each step the pair took, the crowd seemed to part to create a path from the duo to travel. Two silver-haired men emerged from the crowd.

"It's a terrible shame our father isn't here to introduce us as well," one of the figures said, head tilted downward like a Minotaur's. His long, silvery bangs emphasized how bright his eyes were.

"What a pity, indeed," the other replied, his curls bouncing playfully with each overdramatic step. A soft, metallic sound rang out with each of his steps. Closer examination revealed it was a silvery sole on the bottom of his right boot.

The small group turned to see the two more men standing mere feet away. Both figures looked quite similar to each other and, in terms of age, appeared to be in their early twenties. One had the cropped haircut of a pageboy and the other hand a cascading mane of perfect ringlets spiraling down his back.

It was Fenrir's turn to bristle at the sight of new arrivals. Loki instantly recognized the two boys and stepped before his sons instinctively. It was a silent yet obviously protective gesture.

Loki's voice dripped with both caution and forced sweetness. "My beloved nephews, I presume? It's wonderful to see you both."

The trickster bowed deeply to Vali and Vidar, who looked upon their uncle's greeting with a mix of boredom and excitement, respectively.

"Ah, Uncle Loki," Vali said, automatically extending a hand for Loki to kiss. It was a royal custom that only the highest of gods could use as a greeting. The trickster caught Vali's hand and placed a kiss upon his knuckles, knowing that all eyes were on him as he did so.

Vali and Vidar were the two sons of Odin. Similarly to Modi and Magni, they shared their father's face and were complete opposites when it came to their personalities. Where Vali was quiet and contemplative, Vidar was loud and joyous. It was quite an amusing sight to some of the Einherjar and Valkyries to see them walking side by side. They were as different as night and day.

Vali was the slightly younger of the two, and wore long, velvet robes over his knightly armor. He always seemed to carry a large book, most likely a magic tome, under his arm. It appeared to be a weapon for the sake of protection. The man's hair was cropped and worn at chin-length, with not a hair out of place. Vali was a son of Odin and a giantess named Rinda, and the boy's sole purpose was to avenge the death of his brother Baldr in Ragnarok.

When he saw Loki, Baldr's prophesized murderer, he dipped his head respectfully. "It's wonderful to see you so healthy, uncle."

"Yes, it's a true joy!" Vidar chimed in.

Vidar was the older brother and, unlike his younger counterpart, was cheerful and bounced with each step. His clothes were more akin to those worn by troubadours, with very little armor decorating his form. Instead, he wore a dark blue ensemble with leather accents that could also provide some minor protection from weapons. A long, black cloak concealed his shoulders. Strapped to his belt was a sizeable dagger, and one of his boots was finished with a noticeable silver sole. It was prophesized in Ragnarok that Vidar would use a thick shoe to clamp the jaw of the mighty beast Fenrir to the Earth before ripping him in half as revenge for Baldr's death. It was part of the reason Fenrir had partially ducked behind his brother, growling lowly.

"It is a joy to see you both again," Loki said briskly. Before he could stop the two, both Vali and Vidar saw their cousins a few feet away and made their way over. The trickster god bit his lip, hoping the confrontation could be avoided. The man wasn't as worried about Yamino as he was Fenrir. For the same reason Yamino disliked Thor, Fenrir also disliked Vidar. The two were prophesized to fight in Ragnarok, with Fenrir meeting a gruesome demise.

"Greetings, Midgardsormr," Vali said with a smile. "Goodness, I never thought I'd see you in a human form. I must say…it suits you."

Yamino smiled at the young man, who was perhaps only an inch or so shorter than him. Vidar did greet Midgardsormr was well, but was more interested in the small puppy nearby. He bent down carefully and looked at Fenrir, who was looking at the white-haired god with glacial eyes.

"Hello, Fenrisulfr," he said, using the wolf's full name. It was met as a gesture of respect, although Fenrir could have sworn it was one of condescension. "Wow, your form is adorable!"

The puppy huffed and looked away. "Yeah, yeah. It's good to see you too."

The tension that had stiffened Loki's narrow shoulders was suddenly lifted. That hadn't gone nearly as poorly as he expected. Vidar had even asked to pet Fenrir's head, which he agreed to. It was an amusing and oddly comforting sight. Everyone else present in the large dining hall seemed to heave a collective sigh of relief.

However, the peace was short-lived. Vali and Vidar's arrival had distracted the crowd from the appearance of an even more powerful deity.

"My, my, I'm overjoyed to see you all getting along," a voice said, interrupting their conversation abruptly.

Loki recognized the voice instantly and snapped his neck in the direction of the hall's massive corridor. A shadowy figure stood patiently beneath the arches, hands folding across their chest and head cocked slightly to the side, as if he'd been watching the conversation with amusement rather than mere curiosity.

The trickster identified the nostalgic figure and was only able to mutter one word: "Odin…"

The All-Father emerged from the doorway, wearing a heavy cloak and dark armor that reflected the dazzling lights of the hall. Two crows and two wolves followed behind the man on either side of his imposing frame, protecting him and watching each and every soul in the room with a lethal stare. At the mere sight of him, all the other deities and demi-gods present in the chamber dropped onto one knee. The Einherjar feel silent and all Valkyries stopped their work to bow to their ruler.

The man was regal in appearance, with Vali's sharp eyes and Vidar's smirk. His broad shoulders were squared his hair flowed behind him like an icy waterfall as he walked. When he came to a halt, the pale strands formed a white pool at his feet.

Upon seeing the large display of gods and demi-gods bowing to him, the figure slowly lifted a hand and beckoned all to rise. Odin directed his attention to the large group, a small smile on his face.

"Well," he said, his voice prim but authoritative. It was unlike any other voice in the kingdom. "I hope you have had time to catch up, but time is of the essence."

Another thin hand emerged from the sleeve of his billowing robes to beckon the gods forward patiently. Both hands then fluttered to his sides gently as he turned on his heel to exit the hall briskly. It was a silent command for everyone to follow.

"Come," he said sweetly from over his shoulder. "We have so much work to do. Everyone else is already waiting."

 **-END-**

Vali, Vidar, Modi and Magni's designs are all from Kinoshita-sensei's designs in Gods of the New World. I didn't want to change that. I changed their clothes, but their faces/physical designs are the same.

I really like all their designs, although I wished they looked a little more distinct. Yamino and Loki look so different (but similar enough to be related, especially when you also look at Spica.) Modi/Magi and Vali/Vidar look so similar to their fathers they might as well be triplets. Ah well!

Next time: When Darkness Falls

Loki will check up on Mayura, and more secrets of Asgard will be revealed.


	8. When Darkness Falls

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Disclaimer: Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World are not mine, and I claim absolutely no ownership to any part of the franchise. This fanfiction is written for fun and out of love for the characters.

Rating: K

Author's Notes: Just wrapped up six projects in for work in two days…and damn, I'm beat. I'm hoping updating this story might be a little therapeutic.

Also, I managed to found the 8th volume of Kinoshita-sensei's "Tactics" series in a nearby store. It's been out of print forever, so I snatched it up immediately. I just wish more MLR volumes were published as well…ah well. Small victories, haha!

Enjoy! Thanks so much for making it this far!

 **-START-**

 _Everyone was waiting?_

The question brewed silently in Loki's mind as he, Thor and all their children followed behind the All-Father through the winding hallways of Valhalla. The building was an enormous palace that, even with Odin guiding the way, Loki could imagine it would still be an easy feat to get lost. Vali and Vidar also walked with the group, but took their places on either side of their father as they walked. The trio that led the group was completely silent, and nobody dared to initiate small talk.

Loki was certain that everyone else had to have just as many questions as he did. He tried to glance over to Thor and sneak a peek at his face. It was the only time he could remember that the thunder god's face was so unreadable. That didn't bode well for the trickster god's anxiety.

"Thor, do you know what Odin means?" Loki asked his adjacent friend under his breath.

Thor answered Loki's question with a shrug. The trickster sighed in defeat. It seemed the thunder god was just as oblivious as he was.

Loki cast a gaze over his shoulder to see Yamino and Fenrir walking a few feet back. Yamino caught his father's stare and gave him an inquisitive look. All Loki could go was flash his most reassuring grin at his sons and turn away before Yamino saw the forcefulness behind the gesture. His sons could be quite perceptive, after all. The last thing he wanted was for them to realize his own lack of confidence in the situation.

After a few minutes of walking, the group stopped before an ornately carved marble door. Odin waved his hand over the elaborate flourish and the doors heaved open without the use of physical strength. Odin motioned for his sons and the rest of the group to follow him inside the chamber.

Of course, nobody was going to refuse the All-Father.

As Loki took a step into the room, he immediately noticed that they weren't alone. When he stared across to the other end of the room, he saw a gathering of familiar faces that almost made his heart leap out of his chest.

Standing in the back of the room was Heimdall, Freyr, Freya and the Norn sisters.

They were all attired in updated clothes that better suited the Asgardian aesthetic, draped in quilted fabrics with finely embroidered details. He noticed physical differences in their presentation as well. Freyr and Freya looked similar to the human forms they'd used freely on Midgard, but all three of the Norns had aged themselves up a bit to look more akin to women in their late twenties to early thirties. Much like Thor, they had reverted back to their true forms. All three women still looked like themselves with the same features and hair colors, but looked much more like the mature goddesses they actually were than how they'd appeared on Midgard. Loki was certain the Norns would ask him as pleasantly as possible why he hadn't done the same.

Although the beauty of the Norn sisters was only magnified by their true forms, all three paled in comparison to the appearance of another god present in the chamber.

Heimdall's appearance was the most visually striking out of everyone in attendance. Gone was the body of the sloppy, bed-headed child everyone knew him as. He was now in his true form of a full grown adult. The man's tall frame was adorned in dark robes that draped about him in a surprisingly regal fashion. His hair, as disheveled as usual, fell about his shoulders rather gracelessly. Loki had to chuckle at the sight of Heimdall wearing loose, dark clothes even when he was in his awakened form.

 _Some things never change_ , Loki thought fondly.

"There you are," the watchman practically spat that the mere sight of Loki. "What took you so long, huh?

"Hello to you too," the trickster teased in return. It was all too obvious now that Heimdall was all bark and no bite. Besides, with Ragnarok circumvented, they technically had no reason to fear each other any longer. The trickster was damn sure Heimdall was still going to be toasty with him, and that no amount of logic would silence the watchmen's silver tongue. Still, something about seeing Heimdall wear the same expression and greet him with the same coldness was oddly comforting. It made him nostalgic for his days on Earth.

"Ah, Master Loki!" Skuld gushed, her forest-colored eyes lighting up at the sight of the familiar boy. "You're here!"

Urd titled her head in a classy, wordless greeting that absolutely oozed with her elegant personality. Verdandi offered the trickster god and his family a little wave. The little gesture was quite appreciated from Fenrir and Yamino, who were happy to get some reprieve from meeting new gods to appreciate some familiar faces.

"It's wonderful to see you three again," Yamino said with a grin. The man bowed to the three women humbly. "You all seem to be doing well."

"As do you," Urd replied with a coquettish tilt of her head. Her lilac eyes scanned the room slowly, looking to Thor and the Vanir twins that sat quietly near a large table tucked in the back. "My word, it's been a while since we've all seen each other in our true forms. It's a little startling."

"We don't look _that_ different," Freya objected, her golden locks spiraling in mesmerizing loops around her thin arms and waist. Contrary to what her unusual quietness had implied, she seemed to be in a good mood. The woman smirked at Urd and slowly moved her gaze to the grumpy-looking watchmen. "At least, _some_ of us don't."

"Hey now," Heimdall cautioned, sensing that the comment was met as a jab to him. Freya bit her lip playfully and shot Heimdall a wink that he, needless to say, didn't reciprocate.

It only took one fleeting look of disapproval from the All-Father for both parties to simmer down and quit their brief bought of bickering.

"Now, now," Odin gently chided as walked into the chamber, smiling at all in attendance. The way he moved across the floor was so fluid Loki could have sworn the god was floating. The All-Father slowly made his way to the head of the large table and took a seat, his faithful crow and wolf familiars ambling at his side. The man didn't speak again until he was comfortably seated and all eyes were silently on him.

He smirked in approval and said, "Very good. Now, why don't you all take a seat? We have a lot to discuss, and there's no need for anyone to exhaust themselves standing."

Seemingly out of nowhere, finely crafted chairs made from quartz and satin appeared out of thin air a few feet behind each guest. There was one for each visitor in attendance, and Loki could easily tell by the style and ornate fashion of the chairs that Odin's magic had been behind their sudden appearance. Although Nose gods were notoriously mortal in nature and far less romantic than gods from other religions and myths, Loki supposed that the All-Father had to have a few impressive tricks up his sleeve with all the power he held as the supreme ruler of Asgard. A few paltry parlor tricks were to be expected.

As everyone took their seats (with Fenrir opting to sit in Yamino's lap instead) Odin snapped his fingers and summoned the attention of the Norn sisters. The three women understood the vague command instantly and reached across the table to link hands with each other. Their arms formed a triangle across the surface that emanated a shimmering glow almost instantly. From the center of the shape emerged an orb that bounced gently over the gods like a bubble.

"That's a…" Thor started to say, but Freya confirmed his suspicion before Thor even had the opportunity to finish his thoughts.

"It's a manifestation of the Norns' prophetic magic," Freya said, turning to the thunder god and nodding.

"It's like a crystal ball," Loki said with a tiny chuckle. That's what Mayura would have probably called it. The statement didn't go unnoticed by Loki's youngest son, who turned to his father and patted his shoulder softly.

"That's correct," Odin's prim voice said. "With this magic, we'll be able to gaze into the Past, Present and Future. You will all be a witness to ultimate omnipotence."

Confused stares greeted Odin's comment, causing the All-Father to chuckle lightly and elaborate.

"Ultimate omnipotence, the ability to scan time and the power to examine possible outcomes of multiple universes are only reserved for the deities of the highest authority," Odin said sweetly. "However, with all three Norn sisters present, you will all bear witness to these powers as we negotiate what to do now that our surefire demise has been deterred."

Thor blinked stupidly and, surprisingly, everyone else in the room mimicked him. It was one of Odin's own children that finally broke the long stretch of quiet.

"Why do we need to do this?" Heimdall asked as respectfully as he could. "Ragnarok has already been avoided, correct? The original prophecy is void. What use would omnipotence serve as this point when the worst tragedy we could imagine as already been avoided?"

It was a decent question, and all gods in attendance leaned forward to hear the answer. This time, Vali was the one to answer instead of his father. The young man stood from his chair, hands still pressed defensively over the tome he carried.

"What you say is true, Heimdall," Vali said flatly. "However, just because Ragnarok has been avoided doesn't mean that there won't be consequences for its prevention. We must examine all future possibilities to reassure there won't be any reasons for conflict going forward."

Displaying uncommon astuteness, Thor lifted a brow and asked Vali slowly, "So…that's why we were summoned here. You wanted to make sure none of us would take advantage of the situation and cause any trouble."

"You want to make sure none of us are _traitors_ ," Yamino said darkly. The young man certainly didn't mince words. Almost instantly, the mood in the room darkened drastically. The serpent continued deliberately, "If it's revealed through the Norns' magic that anyone in this room might be the source of potential conflict, no matter the reason, we're already trapped in this room."

It would be easy for any problematic individuals to be executed behind closed doors by the ultimate authority.

Freyr and Freya swung their heads to Odin in disbelief. The two Vanir siblings had known Odin had to possess righteous intentions, but they had never pictured the real scenario would be so secretly nefarious. "Is…that why you summoned us, All-Father?"

Loki lifted his head to the twins inquisitively. "You were both summoned?"

Freyr and Freya nodded and told the trickster god that Odin had called for their presence in Valhalla as soon as he'd had heard of Ragnarok's circumvention. The two immediately departed from Midgard immediately set off towards Valhalla. Heimdall reported a different story from the two siblings. Although he had left his post as the watchman of the Rainbow Bridge long ago to pursue and assassinate Loki on Earth, he'd still had some degree of his old powers in his stunted form on Earth. A small amount of his old hyper-sensory powers had remained, and he'd immediately sensed something was amiss.

The boy wasn't very attached to Midgard, so it had been a relatively easy choice to leave and join his family.

"Plus," he told them smugly, "Word travels fast with big news like this."

Loki couldn't argue with that.

The trickster god said that he hadn't been summoned by Odin either. Similarly to Heimdall, the shattering of the prophecy seemed to set off some kind of automatic alarm within him that left him seeking answers to an unsure question. It took a very minute amount of investigation to come to the conclusion that something major had causing stirring in the godly dimension. It was only instinctual that he race to Odin as soon as possible to attempt to negotiate a peaceful solution.

"What about you, father?" Magni asked the thunder god seated next to him, currently leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed and leg bouncing anxiously.

Thor reported that, like Freyr and Freya, he'd been summoned directly by Odin. The young god had been more than eager to report to his father's side and hadn't thought for a second that the invitation might be a set-up for some kind of investigation against the All-Father's own family.

"I'm shocked we didn't realize sooner," Modi droned, peeking out at his father from heavy bangs that darkened his gaze.

Thor and his sons remained silent from then on out, unamused and slightly hurt by the All-Father's actions.

Like before, Odin was not the one to speak up. Vidar rose from his position on the opposite side of his father and ran a slender hand through his long mane of ringlets. It was quite the alluring gesture, serving to make him look like an angelic and princely figure incapable of lying. Or perhaps it was a sign of false confidence to hide the true nervousness his felt.

"I know this must be unsettling news," Vidar said with sympathy in his voice. "Please try to understand. It's nothing personal against any of you. It's a risk that must be taken."

"It's not a risk for you," Fenrir quipped, causing Vidar to throw him a look of disgust that was especially jarring against his beautiful face. It was clear that the young prince wasn't used to people raising their voice at him.

Fenrir continued spitefully, "I'd bet you'd be more worried if you weren't one of Ragnarok's only survivors, let alone the All-Father's son. No wonder you aren't worried."

Vidar's loud snort was especially undignified. "Are you mocking me?"

Tension seemed to cover the room like a lead blanket. Before either one could fire another retort, they were silenced by a commanding voice.

" _Enough,_ " Odin commanded, his eyes flickering open and glowing bright red with the mere threat of his true anger. Both boys slid back into their respective seats, but not before shooting one last glare at each other.

The Norns kept their hands linked, but did cast questioning looks to Odin. The All-Father's muteness was a silent command to continue and the orb began to project a series of images. The eyes of every god were locked on the magical orb, looking and searching for any red flags or glaring issues in regards to the new problem at hand.

Previous events and battles flashed across the surface of the sphere at a speed so fast it was almost impossible to comprehend. Loki could see images of Freyr's first jewelry heists as a Phantom Thief and his first meeting with the late heiress Reiya. The young boy could even see faint glimpses of his confrontation with Heimdall, when the truth about the boy's missing right eye had been revealed and sent both Loki and Heimdall spiraling into catacombs of self-loathing and self-doubt, respectively.

Looking back on such an assortment of positive and negative memories gave Loki an almost nostalgic feeling. It was as if he was being transported to a place and a time that no longer existed, yet he remembered and idealized clearly in his mind. The fragments from their past represented a simpler time he no longer for with newfound desperation.

After a few minutes, the images seemed to slow to a creep as previous events faded away and more recent events began to play. The gods saw their aged up forms gathering in Valhalla, and the arrival of Vali and Vidar in the main dining hall.

Seconds later, an even more familiar image appeared. It showed a gathering of gods and goddesses sitting around a table in an ornately decorated chamber, with a shimmering sphere hovering in the center of the room. The goddess of beauty inhaled sharply at the sight and pointed a manicured finger at the image.

"It's us," Freya said in amazement. "The orb is showing us sitting in this room right now."

"It's…the Present," Loki realized as he looked at the projection. The three sisters focused their magic, as indicated by the steady rising of their shoulders and tense arms. It didn't take long for another image consumed the frame of the sphere. It was a reading from another dimension. It was the Present from another dimension…Midgard.

The picture was cloudy at first, but as the image became clearer, the identity of the visage within was unmistakable. The individual was walking with their father down a very familiar Midgardian road. The figure was dressed in a blue dress and yellow cardigan, with their pink hair flowing behind them effortlessly.

There was no question as many of the gods in the room bolted upright at the sight of Mayura Daidoji within the sphere.

 **-END-**

Sorry for the lack of updates! Work has been insane, and I just haven't had the time or energy to write for fun. Thank you guys so much for your patience and reviews!

Next time: Who Rules Them All


	9. Who Rules Them All

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I own no part of the Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World franchise. This story is written for fun, not monetary profit.

Author's Notes: Oh boy. I'm sorry for the delayed update, but the crazy weather patterns all across the country threw me for a loop, especially with work. I've also got some family events coming up, so I've been swamped. However, I'm still chugging away at this story! It's a nice break from all the chaos, haha!

Anyway, please enjoy! :D

 **-START-**

Wearing a light blue dress and canary-colored cardigan, Mayura Daidouji walked alongside her father down one of the neighborhood streets a few blocks away from their shrine. Mayura walked briskly at the older man's side, not missing a single step. It took every ounce of her strength to walk steadily.

Other than her pale complexion, there seemed to be no other red flags to signal nearby passerby of the discomfort and swirling whirlwind of emotions and thoughts she was experiencing. That was exactly what she longed for. The young woman didn't want to tip anyone off regarding just how physically and mentally drained she was. Sympathy was useless, and she didn't want pity.

The older man wore his usual, monochrome attire and walked with a small basket of cookies hooked over one of his elbows.

"Mayura, you really didn't have to come with me," Misao said, eyeing his daughter warily as they strolled.

"I'm fine," she replied curtly.

"But, you look exhausted…" he replied haplessly.

While nothing might have looked out of the ordinary to the average person, Misao was her father and could clearly see how stressed she was. He could see past her front immediately, no matter how convincing it was for other people.

"You're going to thank Koutarou, right?" Mayura asked without so much as glancing in her father's general direction. "He brought me home after I collapsed. It's only fair that I thank him as well. After all, I'm genuinely grateful."

"Right," Misao replied.

While the older man was incredibly grateful to Koutarou, he couldn't help but feel a little twinge of depression pinch his heart. After all, the young teen had done what any decent human being would have done upon finding a classmate in the streets. However, with Mayura being a young woman, Misao was sure there were other young individuals her age and even in her class that might have not been as kind. It was sad that Koutarou's kindness couldn't be taken for granted, but at the end of the day, he was more than happy to show the blond teen his genuine thanks.

"What are you carrying, by the way?" Mayura finally asked curiously. Her maroon gaze landed on the basket that Misao supported with the crook of his elbow.

"Just some pastries," the man said. As if sensing the basic nature of the gift, he hastily followed his statement by adding, "I wasn't sure what he liked, so I just got him some generic food items."

"I'm sure he'll love them," the young woman replied with a half-smile.

Misao's eyes widened a little at the sight of his daughter's smile. The past twenty-four hours with her had been quite tense. The bubbly and inquisitive spirit he'd known for the past seventeen years had seemingly gone into hibernation while a more sedated and depressed puppet seemed to have taken his daughter's place. The act was nearly convincing, but he knew that Mayura wasn't nearly as okay as she wanted him to believe she was.

There was still the pressing matter of what exactly had happened to Enjaku Detective Agency.

All he knew was that the agency had disappeared without a trace, and he was apparently one of the only people to remember the inhabitants of the household. According to his daughter, even Koutarou didn't remember.

He longed to ask more questions about the logistics and possibilities of the seemingly unfathomable situation, but held his tongue for obvious reasons.

 _I knew there was something wrong with that damn agency_ , Misao thought bitterly.

As he and Mayura rounded the corner and approached the sprawling Kakinouchi mansion, Misao made a silent promise as his fingers crushed the wicker handle of the gift basket.

 _No matter what they did…I won't forgive them,_ he promised internally.

"We're here," Mayura said, gently nudging her father's shoulder to break his train of thought as they walked up to the large mansion's gate. If Mayura hadn't awoken him from his daydream, it was possible one of the heavy bars would have left a nasty indent down his face.

The pink-haired took walked up to an intercom near one of the gates and firmly pressed a metal button near the bottom. A buzzer sounded a few times, and after a few short rings, the gate's heavy lock unlatched and Mayura was able to push the heavy metal gate open. She led the door open so her father could walk inside, and she followed behind him briskly as they made their way to the front door.

Just before Misao and Mayura reached the front door, a familiar teen stepped out of the house wearing casual clothes. Although he had almost immediately buzzed them inside, he still wore a look of mild surprise as they approached him.

"Oh…hello Daidouji," he said casually to Mayura before turning to dip his head respectfully to her father. "Hello to you as well, Mr. Daidouji. What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"We wanted to thank you again for helping me," Mayura said, speaking in a more measured tone than usual. A few days prior, she would have been bouncing with excitement or drawling in boredom due to a lack of mysteries or immediate excitement. Now, her voice seemed much more dull and disinterested, although Koutarou knew it was because of her mental exhaustion. She'd been through a lot, and he didn't take it personally.

Before he could object, Misao handed him the large basket of pastries and didn't allow the flustered teen to reject the gift.

After some coaxing, Koutarou finally relented a muttered a small, "Thank you."

He set the basket aside and invited both of them indoors for some tea and refreshments.

"I hate to just turn you away without offering you anything," he explained as he gestured for the father and daughter to enter the luxurious corridor of the mansion.

"Really?" Mayura asked in disbelief. Her furrowed brow indicated that she felt some hesitation at accepting the offer. "You seem really busy though. Are you working?"

It was an astute observation on her part. Koutarou supposed his slightly disheveled state combined with his business casual clothes had been enough to tip her off. Hopefully she also wouldn't notice the plum-colored circles under his eyes from his all-nighter.

In addition to high school, business schooling from his father kept him awake and working for long hours during nights and long weekends. To him, entertaining some familiar company sounded like a very welcome break from the strict routine imposed by his family.

While Misao refused and cited a need to return to the shrine to meet with some clients, Mayura opted to stay and accepted his offer.

"Well, as long and I'm not imposing, I'd love to stay for a bit," she said, causing Koutarou to smile warmly.

While Koutarou was thankful for the company, Mayura was thankful for being able to meet with her friend privately. She still had a ton of questions for him about his memory loss regarding Enjaku Detective Agency. Perhaps talking to him could yield some clues behind Loki and his family's strange decision to erase Koutarou's memories.

 _I might even be able to get him to remember them,_ she thought eagerly.

It took some convincing on Mayura's part to ease her father's concerns about her staying at Koutarou's house for a bit. While Kakinouchi was a trustworthy person and definite acquaintance of the Daidouji family, Misao's concerns weren't directed at Koutarou. He was worried about his daughter not pushing herself and making sure she would be okay.

"I'm just having tea and talking, not exploring the Bermuda Triangle," she said, causing her father to laugh. It was always an expedition Mayura had discussed going on, and it was always a point of comparison for when Mayura wanted to do something her father disagreed with. It always made the other option seem much more agreeable by comparison.

After a brief goodbye, Misao finally relented and left the house so he could return to the family shrine.

Mayura followed Koutarou inside and into a lavish kitchen, where he got to work making tea when she sat down and got comfortable. He also handed her the pastries for her to set out as she liked.

As he worked, Mayura couldn't help but notice that he was using a kettle to brew tea. It reminded her of how Yamino used to make her tea at Enjaku, taking time to boil water precisely in a kettle each time. The young woman vividly recalled what he'd taught her about brewing tea the few times she's asked him to teach her. She couldn't help but smile as she recalled a time she'd overheated the water a few degrees for black tea, and he'd gone into an entire impromptu lesson about tea.

" _Remember_ ," he'd told her with a wag of the finger, " _Green tea should only be steeped for a few minutes at about 170 degrees before drinking. It should be light. Now, black teas and herbal teas should be steeped for about five to seven minutes at over 200 degrees. If you'd like to add honey, it loses all its microbial properties when heated at over 104 degrees, so it would be pointless to use local…"_

"Mayura?"

She snapped out of her daydream at the sound of Koutarou's voice and the gentle clack of a tea cup being set before her.

"Oh, thank you," she said with a nod, quietly sipping the tea. Of course, it was bitter and wasn't as good as Yamino's, but it still warmed her up. She could resist smiling. "It's good."

"I'm glad," Koutarou said as he took a seat across from her where a growing stack of paperwork sat precariously perched near the edge of the table.

It appeared that Mayura's earlier inquiry about Koutarou being busy with work was true.

The teen sipped some tea and, after a few more swipes of his glossy pen, he cast the last couple documents aside and seemed to rezone his attention back on her, like some kind of multi-tasking machine.

So," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Tell me."

She blinked slowly. "Tell you what?"

"About that place you mentioned the other day," he said. "Um…Enjaku Detective agency, right? That place. Tell me everything about it."

The pink-haired teen couldn't help but bristle at his bluntness. She lowered her gaze, but kept her maroon eyes focused on him. "I don't understand. I thought you said you didn't remember. Why would you want to know?"

Was it possible…that he actually believed her? Was he actually taking their earlier conversation in the alleyway to heart? It seemed like too much to hope for. Even her father hadn't spoken so much as a word about the topic, seeing it as risqué or taboo.

Koutarou seemed to approach it furiously.

"When I told you I couldn't recall it, you were beyond distressed," he said slowly. "There must be a reason for that. So, as long as you're comfortable, I'd like for you to tell me everything. There's also more tea and I'm finished with my work, so time isn't an issue. Please, talk for as long as you want."

Mayura's eyes lit up like fireworks. For the first time in days, her heart soared and brimmed with the joy that she only felt when upon stumbling into a new mystery. She was actually happy, and the last shred of hope that she'd thought had been severed was restored.

A glimmer of her old self shine through her beaten exterior, like a diamond trapped in coal.

She opened her mouth to speak and the words seemed to pour forth like a stream.

* * *

Loki and the other gods watched Mayura's seemingly simple exchange with Koutarou, but were still confused by what they saw. The content of the conversation wasn't what vexed them, but rather how the exchange was being presented to them.

The images in the ball moved at a sped up pace, like they were being fast-forwarded.

The crystal orb projecting the images had slowed its pace from when it had only showed mere flashes of the past, but was still moving too fast to be natural. The fact that the vision seemed to be moving fast than normal was quit troubling to the gods, especially because the Norns claimed the images to be happening in present time.

Thor leaned in to examine the ball closely, cocking his head in a couple directions as he closely examined the magical object. "This is projecting the present, right? Why the hell is it moving so fast?"

Vali and Vidar exchanged half-lidded glances, clearly annoyed with the thunder god's lack of knowledge. Vali asked with a lifted brow, "You mean you don't know…?"

"Know what?" Yamino asked, adjusting his glasses nervously. He didn't like the implication behind Vali's tone. Something was clearly amiss.

The young man cast a look to his father, and was immediately filled with dread. The young, ginger-haired boy's eyes were wide and fearful. The lines of his mouth seemed to quake and shift, as if trying to form words and failing miserably. At first, he was confused at to what elicited the response.

Then it hit him.

The serpent's hand flew to his mouth as his brain suddenly deduced the reasoning behind the Norn's magic. "Oh no…it can't be…"

"Correct," Odin spoke up, his voice booming. "Although the nine worlds are connected by the tree Yggdrasil, they are still in alternate dimensions with a large variety of variations. One of most notable of variances is the passage of time."

All the gods went rigid with alarm at the statement. That would mean that time on Midgard passed at a different rate than time in Asgard. As such, it would make sense why the visions inside the crystal ball would materialize in a sped up fashion.

"That's not good," Fenrir groaned with a shake of the head. "Crap. That means that even though we've only been here a few hours…"

Loki finished his son's sentence in a low, almost zombie like tone. "That would mean a few days have already passed on Earth."

The long-haired All-Father nodded knowingly and patiently shifted his gaze back to the shaken trickster god. The look on Odin's calm face was all Loki needed to see to know his unfortunate realization was correct.

With one wave of the All-Father's pale hand, the Norns relaxed and unhooked their hands. The crystal ball faded, and all eyes fell on the center of the table.

"Now," Odin continued coldly, "If you'd like to return to Midgard within the next _century_ , I suggest we follow my early suggestion and get to work."

 **-END—**

Thanks for being patient with me! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to be back soon with more content.

Next time: Tales of Fear and Deceit


	10. Fear and Deceit

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World. All rights should go to Sakura Kinoshita. This is not-for-profit story written for fun.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! Thank you all so much for the comments, follows and all the support. You're all so sweet, and I'm looking forward to bringing you guys to juicer update for this series. Things are going to pick up.

Anyways, enjoy!

 **-START-**

Mayura held out hope that her friends would return.

Day after day, the young woman went out of her way to visit the old patch of land where Enjaku Detective Agency used to sit. The girl visited the location before and after school, rain or shine. She thought that maybe, one day, she'd round the corner and see the Victorian mansion standing against the background of a modern skyline, looking delightfully out of place.

The girl liked to imagine that she'd run through the gate and throw her arms around Yamino, who would be sweeping the entryway and keeping the leaves from the sweet-smelling trees around their property at bay.

After being invited inside, she'd greet Fenrir on her way up the stairs while Yamino went to fetch tea and refreshments. He probably would have made orange and cranberry scones, because the young man knew those were Mayura's favorite, and he liked to make them for her as often as he could. Only fresh orange peel and cranberries would be acceptable for her.

The three would then push open the mahogany door to Loki's study and see the little boy hunched over a pile of paperwork, a frown seemingly etched into his too-young face. There were already crinkled edges around his eyes from all his sour expressions.

However, when his emerald eyes flickered up to meet hers, the frown would dissolve and he would smile. It was his first real smile of the day.

Every time she could bring a grin to the grumpy boy's face, she felt an incomparable surge of delight that was equal parts invigorating and addicting. Mayura had always longed to do it every day.

She must have dreamed about the scenario hundreds of times. Each new vision had slight variations, but the ending was always the same; she would spend the evening eating treats and sipping tea with Loki and his family. They were together, and most importantly, they were _happy._

The dream was dashed every day when she would race to the location down the road from her house and find nothing but a vacant lot waiting for her.

The first couple times it happened, she felt tears sting her eyes. After a couple weeks, she stopped expecting miracles and checked the site regularly out of habit.

All her prayers had gone unanswered for so long. She began to feel like her hope for a miracle was merely a childish dream.

Eventually, she stopped checking in the mornings. After all, the young woman had to focus on her studies, and Koutarou was a great tutor.

After a year, she stopped stopping on the evenings. The young woman was tired after school and needed to return home to help her father with various chores around the shrine. In addition, she was still trying to help Koutarou recall his lost memories of Enjaku, and figured that her endeavors would be better suited in matters of reminiscing and nostalgia rather than grasping for threads of hope in the darkness.

Eventually, the two teens decided to meet up after school every day to hold small study sessions. With Mayura having to work at her father's shrine and Koutarou still an understudy in taking over his father's business, multitasking was crucial. Studying was basically the only excuse the two could come up with as a means to hang out with each other.

Regardless of the reasons, the two did actually study. Mayura tutored Koutarou in Japanese and Koutarou taught her geography and basic mathematics. Both struggled with topics like physics and history. Although they were productive, the group made such to punctuate their session with bits of conversation. Sometimes they talked about generic matters like the weather or what their weekend plans were. Other times, they brought up Enjaku Detective Agency. Their discussion about the mansion kept the mystery of her friends' whereabouts alive, much to her delight.

"So wait, you keep calling this little kid _Loki_ ," she said, leaning back in his chair while balancing a pencil precariously between his upper lip and the bottom of his nose. Mayura couldn't resist laughing at how ridiculous he looked. "So, was he actually the god from Norse mythology? The trickster god, right?"

"Apparently so," Mayura said with a sigh. "He didn't tell me that until right before he left. His butler and dog were also his sons."

"Midgardsormr and Fenrir?"

"Yes. Respectively."

"Huh."

Koutarou's skepticism was stinging, but he still didn't mock her. Instead, he leaned forward and began to casually tap the pencil against the edge of the table. He hummed, clearly musing over something inside his head. Mayura casually took a sip of jasmine tea for a china cup, fighting the temptation to scrunch up her nose. Yamino had definitely spoiled her when it came to the quality of tea.

"It's hard to believe, but I also know you have no reason to lie," he said bluntly. "I mean, I saw your face the day they vanished. There's no way you were faking how distraught you are."

The statement elicited a dry laugh from the young woman.

"I am a terrible actress," Mayura laughed hollowly. "I don't blame you for being skeptical. I don't have any proof, after all."

"Really?" he asked incredulously. "You wouldn't believe me? That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. You'd jump on any chance to follow a mystery, fact or fiction."

The words were spoken with a smug grin to indicate that he was only teasing, and the teen knew why he was trying to make her laugh. He knew she'd obviously be sad about not having any proof of her friends' existence, and had tried to lighten the mood with a joke. While she had seen right through his façade, the act of kindness didn't go unappreciated.

"You still don't remember anything?" she asked.

"No, I'm sorry," he said truthfully, his smug smile faltering as he returned to his books. "I don't. I wish I did, but I don't want to lie to you."

Mayura felt a surge of guilt at seeing the sad look on his face. After all, it wasn't as if it was his fault he couldn't remember anything. She had no right to put him on the spot and expect him to push past whatever magical spell Loki had cast. While Mayura still didn't know why he'd done such a foolish thing, she was committed to overcoming the sadness and anger that their decision had caused.

Mayura constantly reminded herself of why they left; to restore peace to the Nine Worlds. It was a noble mission. She knew that she shouldn't harbor malice towards them for their choice. That didn't mean it was easy for her.

The young woman checked her watch and realized she had to leave. It was already past 8 p.m., and she knew that she had tasks waiting for her upon her return home. Much to her chagrin, she had to leave her friend's house and go back into the real world.

Slowly sliding her books into her backpack one by one, she replied as evenly as she could manage, "Well, even if you never remember anything, it's still nice to vent to you. I think it helps me stay sane knowing at least you and Papa believe me."

Koutarou chuckled as he leaned back in the chair of his family's foyer, just a few inches short of tipping over. He heaved a heavy sigh and threw his hands behind his head leisurely.

"It's so weird that they didn't leave you with a memento or anything," Koutarou said with a little frown. "Not even a picture, a letter…even one of those old ribbons they used to wear."

The last detail of the sentence almost slipped past her.

Mayura blinked and whipped her head back in Koutarou's direction. "What? What did you say?"

The man, as if confused by his own words, stared back at her with wide eyes. Stammering a bit, he repeated his earlier words. "Uh…I said that they should have left you one of those ribbons they always wore. They wore them almost every day, right?"

The young woman's store bore into his, silently urging him to continue. "You remember the ribbons? Are you sure?"

Mayura thought it was too good to be true that a simple sentence had triggered such a memory. She thought that she must have mentioned the ribbons in a past conversation, although she couldn't recall doing such a thing.

The young man looked back at Mayura with wide eyes, blinking slowly as the words seemed to pour forth. "Yes…I do. Loki wore a frilly white ribbon and Yamino wore a red one. Sometimes he wore a tie though."

 _Gods. He's right._

Mayura's breath hitched as a look of elation crossed his features. Upon seeing her reaction, he knew he'd successfully remembered something. Apparently some words were still able to trigger his memories and, somehow, he'd managed to recall something.

Mayura didn't know how such a feat was possible. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the ribbons were such a small detail. It wasn't like he'd recalled any major facts or notable characteristics.

All he'd been able to recall was a simple item of clothing. It was small, but it was still a start.

It didn't seem like a big deal. A ribbon around someone's neck would have been an insignificant detail in any other situation. Perhaps its insignificance had lent itself to Koutarou's ability to remember it.

Regardless of the reason, still unclear, she couldn't resist rushing into her blond friend's arms and embracing him tightly. Of course, the extra bit of force was just enough to tip the chair and send the two soaring onto the floor. Even after crashing against the floor, Mayura didn't let go of her friend's waist, and kept him locked firmly in her embrace.

Finally, the miracle she'd been hoping for had come to fruition.

Out of her millions of prayers, one had been answered.

 **-END-**

Yeah…I'm a big Mayukou fan. I know it's not a pairing many people like, so I'll try to keep their moments few and far between, but I couldn't resist! I just think they're so darn cute.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	11. Rebuttal

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A (hints of MayuKou)

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World. Please credit the plot and cast of characters to author, artist and series creator Sakura Kinoshita.

Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry for the delay, but the next chapter is finally here. If you've stuck it out this long, thank you so much! From here on out, we've got some consistent plot to discuss.

I hope you guys enjoy!

 **-START-**

Days passed. Months passed. The vacant lot in Mayura's neighborhood that used to be Enjaku Detective Agency remained uninhabited throughout the seasons. The property gathered snow in winter and piles of leaves in fall. When weather threatened to made the area look shabby, she took to the sidewalk with a snow shovel or rake to make it look presentable again. After all, Yamino always kept the sidewalks tidy, and she prided herself in keeping up the tradition even if it garnered her some stares in the process.

Mayura went through multiple stages of depression until she finally began to accept the fate of her companions.

While she'd held out hope as long as she could, it was now clear that Loki and his family wouldn't be returning to Earth anytime soon. The young woman had to come to terms with the fact that it might be years, or perhaps even decades, until her friends reappeared in her life. Daidouji hadn't wanted to consider such a terrible possibility, but over time she'd become numb to her hurt and loneliness and thought instead about how productive their efforts must have been in Asgard.

 _If it's taking this long for them to come back… that's a good thing_ , she thought expectantly. _After all, if they'd failed, they'd be back right now. Right?_

The worst part was that she couldn't be sure of anything.

While the young woman was a master of conjuring optimistic thoughts and could usually maintain a state of Zen even in the most negative conditions, her emotions were still tumultuous after the sudden departure of her friends. What made their departure even worse was the fact that her final goodbye to the trio had been tinged with hate and malice; emotions that didn't perfectly mirror her actual thoughts at the time. They were rather a manifestation of the hurt she felt they had carved into her heart with a rough, jagged knife.

Instead of grieving, Mayura channeled all the anger and hurt into school. The girl remained active in the Mystery Society, but spent more time studying than ever before.

She kept meeting with Koutarou whenever he was available.

Although the teen still didn't recall much about Enjaku Detective Agency, his memories returned via random bits and pieces. The selective recollection seemed to come and go at random, but no matter how much Koutarou remembered about the illusive detective, Mayura kept her promise and never revealed their divinity to her friend.

Even if he made light inquiries about their disappearance, she never let their secret slip. She owed them that much.

Sensing his friend's hesitation, Koutarou never pressed the issue. Instead, he kept meeting with her for study sessions where the teens continued to tutor each other on subjects the other happened to struggle with.

Months continued to pass until, a few years after Loki's disappearance, Mayura and Koutarou were scheduled to graduate high school alongside their classmates. Most members if their class, including Kaho, had been touched by her divine companions through their mysteriously escapades. Mayura had already investigated each and every one of them, and none remembered Enjaku or its inhabitants.

It was a day she'd always looked forward to celebrating with them. Yamino had promised to make a feast of treats and, behind a half smile, Loki promised that he would at least try to attend the ceremony.

However, after years without Loki and his family at her side, she'd learned to live without them. Disappointment lingered, but the young woman always managed to push past it.

Finally, with graduation only a few days away, Mayura had raised all her grades to near perfection and had the utmost confidence in her exit exam grades as well. Channeling all her emotional turmoil into studying hadn't been easy, but with support from her father and Koutarou, she'd made it through and emerged as one of the most successful students in the school.

After a hectic day of running around to finalize ceremonial procedures and gather last minute recommendation letters, Mayura and Koutarou finally wrapped up their to-do lists around sunset. Once dusk hit, the two finally set off for their respective homes.

"Do you want to stop by the convenience store?" Koutarou asked his friend as their walked along the twilight-colored streets of their neighborhood. The blond teen gestured to a brightly lit store just around the corner, where a few students in matching uniforms were out front chatting and waiting for their friends to finish buying snacks and beverages, no doubt for celebratory gatherings that would go late into the night. Mere moments later, an older gentleman emerged and handed one of the students waiting outside a pack beer in exchange for some bills, which caused Mayura and Koutarou to chuckle. It was definitely a celebratory occasion.

"Want to get a little tipsy before the end of the year?" Koutarou asked playfully.

"I think I'm good," Mayura laughed. "For now, at least. I'll take you up on that offer if we can browse your family's champagne and wine selection."

"No kidding," the blond teen said, rolling his eyes. "Are you sure you don't want anything? I think melon bread is on sale this week."

"Don't tempt me," Mayura groaned, arching her back and cranking out any kinks she could. "I'm starving, but I'm so tired too. I kind of want to head home…but now that you've said melon bread, it's in my head."

Koutarou laughed loudly and trotted ahead of his pink-haired friend so he could duck into the store. He pointed to her and then gestured to the ground. "Stay right there. I'm getting us some bread. Do you want anything to drink?"

After a long sigh, Mayura smiled and nodded. "I do. Thanks for asking. I'll take some cola."

"Great," he said. "I'll be right back. Don't wander off, airhead."

"I won't!" Mayura fired back as Koutarou vanished inside the crammed store. The teen could see even from the sidewalk that the tiny space was bustling with adults and students alike, and definitely didn't envy Koutarou. She was charmed by his decision to brave the crowds to get her some snacks which, after skipping lunch, she definitely needed.

To pass the time while she waited, the teen leaved against and empty storefront and played with the strap on her schoolbag. While her hands fiddled with the material, her eyes wandered and scanned the surrounding cityscape. It had been a while since she'd walked back from her school so late at night through the more urban areas. Ever since the one time the power had gone out across the city and she'd almost gotten hit by a car, she tended to stick to less crowded areas once the sun went down.

Loki later explained that the outage had been caused by Hati and Skoll arriving on Earth to assassinate him under Odin's command. She still remembered how low her jaw dropped when he'd told her that.

 _It's funny_ , she thought _. That was around the time I met Fenrir._ _We walked around the city together and it looked just like this. I complained a lot about his antics back then, but now…I miss them._

Her thoughts were halted as a dark shape flashed across her vision. In the distance, she saw something familiar. It was dark and difficult to make out the exact outline of the space, but once she made out the four small legs and the smoky eyes, her crimson eyes shot open. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at a distinct, all-black Labrador puppy with large eyes.

"F-Fenrir?" she asked, her voice a mere squeak.

 _No way_ , she thought incredulously as the puppy started towards her. _It can't be. It's been years. That…could be any dog._

Doubt lingered in her heart as she stared at the dog. It was true the puppy looked generic from a distance, but she had a nagging feeling in her gut that there was something familiar about the tiny canine.

The girl stood paralyzed as the dog made a beeline for her. When he was only a few feet away, she kneeled down as if expecting him to collide with her. She tried his name on her tongue again. "Fenrir, is that you?"

The puppy was silent as it darted past her, narrowly missing her legs and continuing down the sidewalk. For a moment, her mind was at ease. Perhaps the dog was lost or it was a stray wandering the streets. Just as her heartbeat was starting to slow, she saw the small dog round the corner and head up a dimly lit street. It was an area Mayura knew well, even though there were few businesses or houses on the road.

The relief Mayura felt vanished and was replaced by thundering excitement as she realized something practically heart-stopping.

The dog was running in the direction of Enjaku Detective Agency.

 **-END-**

I'm so sorry I've been away. Work has been crazy and the side projects have been adding up. However, I'm back and hoping to continue with updates for this story. I believe we're about halfway through.

Next time, a familiar crew comes home.

Thanks for reading!


	12. Reunion - Part 1

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A (Hints of MayuKou)

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I don't own the plot or characters of Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World.

Author's Note: It's been a busy few weeks for me, guys. I'm so sorry for the late upload, but I promise to make up for it with more plot-related content in each chapter.

Thank you guys so much for all your patience and kindness! Writing this story is so fun, and all the wonderful messages/reviews from you guys make it an absolute pleasure. The fandom for MLR is one of the best I've ever been a part of.

 **-START-**

Mayura's legs burned as she sprinted after the small black puppy. The teen wasn't a runner by any means, but as she raced to follow the small dark blur down the evening-shrouded streets of her local neighborhood, she looked like a professional sprinter. It would have been an admirable sight if she hadn't been dressed in her school uniform with her school bag flopping gracelessly at her side.

"Wait!" she called to the black dog. "Fenrir, is that you?"

The small puppy didn't respond. Hell, maybe it _couldn't_ respond.

Although it was late and the sun had already set, the teen knew the area so well that she didn't need light to help her navigate the winding neighborhood streets. After all, she had walked the area multiple times around Enjaku Detective Agency at many times of the day, and still knew the layout of the area like the back of her hand.

If the sun had been any lower of if the area had been more unfamiliar, she wouldn't have pressed on so recklessly. However, such was not the case. She decided to persist in spite of the odds.

" _What are the chances?"_ she thought desperately as her lungs clung to every breath she sucked into her exhausted body. _"There's no way…it can't possibly be…it can't be them."_

However, she couldn't be sure. The girl would have never forgiven herself if she gave up early and never learned the truth.

The girl finally skidded onto the street that used to be the home of said agency after running for what felt like miles. The puppy was mere feet ahead of her as it finally turned a corner and seemed to take a path off the road to a nearby building. She followed the shape as briskly as possible, although she was finally starting to gasp from all the physical exertion. The puppy certainly possessed an odd amount of endurance for something so small.

In the months that the road had been devoid of the mansion, she knew that the road became pitch black at nighttime due to that lack of other businesses or residences in the area.

Now, she felt her sick stomach conceal to stone as she saw light radiating from around the block. As she practically barreled around the corner, she saw the small black puppy standing at the gates to a large Victorian mansion. Outside on the gates was a familiar bronze plate that read in ornate script, _Enjaku Detective Agency._

Mayura came to an abrupt halt that sent the soles of her shoes slewing across the pavement. As a wave of pebbles settled around her, the teen peered up at the mansion's shiny gates with wide eyes. Not only was the mansion back, but it also wasn't abandoned. Far from it.

The windows were alive with light. The curtains were open. The paths were free of leaves and debris, as if they had been freshly swept.

Mayura's gaze slowly drifted downward to the front door where she spied the same black puppy she'd been chasing sitting right on the doorstep. Right as she opened her mouth to speak to the small dog, its eyes shone as she heard it emit a strange sound. It took her a minute to realize that it was a chuckle.

The canine said slowly, "Hey there, mystery girl. Long time no see."

The words took a minute to sink it. She didn't immediately react to the gruffly spoken words and merely stared at him blankly as if seeing a ghost.

After a few second of gaping, the teen lifted her hands to ball her fists around the bars of the heavy iron gates. Her intention was to lean against them and perhaps call for someone to let her in.

Upon placing her hands against the cold metal, both the gates swung open easily. They had been unlocked for her. When she opened her mouth to speak about the remarkable act, she found her voice too feeble to form words. She then felt hot tears create silvery paths down her cheeks. The young woman hadn't even noticed she'd started to cry.

Mayura weakly ambled through the gates and down the cobblestone path to meet Fenrir.

As she drew closer, the teen kneeled before him and peered into his charcoal-colored eyes skeptically. In some ways, the girl still thought she was dreaming. After all, she'd fantasized about her friends returning to her for years, but she always woke up and found the lot still vacant the next morning. It seemed too good that her friend…her _family_ …would finally return to her after years of absence.

There was one way to find out. The teen knew that she always woke up from her dream when she reached out to touch or hug any of her friends. The young woman never got to hold her illusive companions. Even when she dreamed of seeing Fenrir, she always woke up the very second she reached out to pet him and feel his fur beneath her numbed fingers.

"Fenrir?" she finally asked, her mouth unbelievably parched. "Is that really you?"

She could see him smile, but heard the distinct thud of his tail against the pavement. She knew he only wagged his tail when he was happy. He then confirmed her suspicion by walking forward a few steps to stand on his hind legs and tentatively lick away one of her fresh tears. She felt the tentative kiss and almost broke down from glee.

Just as the women stooped over to wrap her trembling arms around the puppy, she was engulfed in light that practically blinded her.

The teen lifted a hand to block the light and managed to make out the silhouette of a familiar figure standing over her. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out the shimmering lens of glasses and the sleek lines of a finely tailored suit.

Yamino looked down at her with a kindly expression. He stood rigidly, as if expecting her to yell at him or smack him. In a way, she supposed the concern was justified.

"Hello, Miss Mayura," he said with a gentle nod of the head. The young man then cast a more irritated glare in the direction of his older brother, who was currently wagging his tail in amusement against the cement doorstep. "And _you._ Why did you lead her here? We made plans to surprise her later."

The puppy rolled its charcoal-colored eyes as over-dramatically as a canine could manage.

"I didn't want to wait _anymooore_ ," Fenrir whined loudly. "Besides, she's clearly happy to…!"

Fenrir's sentence was severed as Mayura bundled the wiggly black puppy against her. As she crushed Fenrir to her chest, she used her free arm to pull Yamino into an equally tight embrace. She pulled the two so close that the both divine entities struggled to breathe for a second.

"Miss Mayura," Yamino gasped, feeling as if his ribs were about to bruise under the pressure of her powerful embrace. "It's wonderful to see you to, but…you're crushing us…"

The young woman didn't reply and simply buried her face into the lapels of Yamino's uniform. After a few seconds of silence, both heard the girl sob happily and heave her weight against his shoulder. The pain on Yamino's face instantly dissolved into quiet joy as he wrapped one of his own arms about her torso, slowly rubbing consoling circles up and down her trembling spine. All the while, Fenrir's tail continued to thump against the trio happily.

"We're so sorry," Yamino said as Mayura continued to hold the brothers tightly. The young man lifted a hand to caress the top of her head that was resting right beneath his chin. "We've been away, and we left you unjustly. I know we probably can't make those years up to you, but…"

"No, no…" she said, pulling away and taking a big gulp of fresh air. She cleared her throat in an attempt to prevent anymore sobs from muddling her voice before speaking again. "It's okay."

"It's _okay_?" Fenrir asked incredulously. "It's totally not okay! You should be effin' furious at us for what we did to you."

Yamino nodded reluctantly. "While I disagree with the lack of eloquence, my brother is correct. We were absolutely terrible to you. To be frank, we weren't expecting such a loving welcome."

"I'm surprised you even followed me," Fenrir chimed in again, causing Mayura to laugh and affectionately stoke the velvety fur beneath his chin. "I'm serious! I thought you would just ignore me, or hell, chase me down just to plant your foot in my gut."

The young woman wiped away her tears clumsily as she listened to the brothers' playful banter. It was still sinking in that the two demi-gods were back in her life, and that above all else, they were brothers. It was completely disorienting, but she was so thankful to have her friends back in her life again that she didn't even have the energy to care about the the three continued to hug and bond, another shadow approached the group from the inside of the agency. Upon sensing the presence of the fourth individual, Yamino knowingly looked over his shoulder and smiled at the smaller figure.

Upon stepping out of the way, a little boy stood a few feet away from the high-schooler. Even though she hadn't seen him in years, he still looked exactly the same. He still wore the same, flowing clothes with clunky boots and hair cut closely to his cheeks. As always, a crisp white bow was secured about his narrow neck.

Loki approached her with tiny, apprehensive steps. The young boy didn't approach her too quickly, but rather waited for her reaction. Whether or not she was happy to see him would depend how quickly he'd go to her.

Mayura looked at Loki for a few seconds before silently lowering Fenrir onto the group. Right as the puppy's pink paw pads touched the floor, the girl ducked down and practically barreled into the child. The act almost sent the two tumbling to the floor, but Loki somehow managed to hold his ground. She didn't look it, but the bubble-gum-haired teen was strong beyond her years. Hiking across the city left and right searching for mysteries probably had something to do with it, but he digressed.

As Mayura embraced him, Loki returned the gesture tenfold.

"Loki…" she drawled. The joy and relief in her voice almost overpowered her desire to speak coherently. "Loki, Loki…you're back. You're back…"

"Yes, Mayura," the boy responded kindly. "We're back, and it's for good this time. I promise."

Mayura's crimson eyes were already sore. Lately, it seemed as if tears came to her too frequently. She'd been good about holding back her emotions lately, but the return on Loki and his family was too relieving for her to not shed tears. To say the occasion was momentous would be the understatement of a millennium.

Mayura was completely beside herself as she used a free arm to gesticulate for Fenrir and Yamino to join their embrace. After a little prompting from Loki, the two joined the huddle and all embraced in Enjaku's entranceway.

Even as Koutarou ran up the street with convenience store shopping bags in each hand and stumbled in front of the agency, the quartet didn't break their tight embrace.

As Kakinouchi stared up at the building, he felt a surge of memories bombard his brain. Like a dam bursting open, memories flooded his brain and sent him into a swimming whirlpool of confusion. After a few moments, the young teen connected eyes with Loki and saw a familiar emerald sparkle in the young boy's gaze. Upon witnessing the embrace, all his memories seemed to perfectly click into place again as if they had been missing pieces to a large jigsaw puzzle.

"Detective…" Koutarou whispered, looking upon the boy with wide eyes. Slowly, his gaze narrowed into an expression of irritation and anger.

The teen finally shared Mayura's knowledge of the situation. Finally, after years of his memories being erased, the gods before him had allowed him to access the secrets of their divinity. With one look from Loki, the trickster had broken the spell and allowed him to remember all the forbidden information.

Koutarou looked at the boy and murmured with a scowl on his face, "You little bastard."

 **-END-**

Writing Fenrir's dialogue is so much easier after finishing a bottle of spiced rum.

Anyway, thank you guys so for being patient with me. You guys deserve a novel, but I can only give offer a chapter every few weeks. However, I have huge plans for this story, so I hope you guys will continue to stick around.


	13. Reunion - Part 2

Title: Remembrance

Author's Note: I'm so sorry. I've been away for far too long, and have no excuses other than I started this chapter about 10 times and just never liked the result. So, I bring you this possibly weird, but definitely present addition to this story that I promise I have every intention of continuing to its end.

Again, thank you all so much for reading and staying with me!

 **-START-**

Mayura couldn't remember much.

All she could recall was tightly embracing her long-lost friends, holding each one of them so passionately close to her heart that she thought she may stop breathing from excitement.

Apparently, something similar had happened. The next thing she saw after closing her eyes to run and embrace her friends was the image of a slightly peddled bedroom ceiling above her.

It took her a few blinks to finally clear her vision. A few more seconds later, she found the energy to slowly turn her head and look around the room. The walls were a shade of pale, warm orange and all of the linens were shades of cream and dusty rose. It was a somewhat dated look, and she couldn't help but smile as she realized she was immediately able to discern her location just based off the décor alone.

There could be no doubt. She was in a bedroom at Enjaku Detective Agency.

A few hours earlier, the building hadn't existed. Now, she was laying on a bed inside of it. Downstairs, she could hear faint voices talking and yelling. Her lips formed a smile as she realized the person screaming in a heavily accented voice was her friend Koutarou.

It seemed his memories had returned. That was good.

More specifically, she was inside the bedroom she had stayed in many times during her previous visits. After begging Loki to stay over a few times after late-night study sessions and even during inclement weather, she had obtained her own bedroom specifically designated for her.

Although the decorations Yamino had chosen had been a little garish for her taste at first, she was shocked at just how much they had grown on her.

The teen felt the soft sheets beneath her body and couldn't resist clenching them tightly in her fingers. As she squeezed the material and felt the soft texture of the fabric against her fingers, she let out a sigh of relief.

" _This is real,"_ Mayura thought blissfully. _"They're really back, I mean, they're really here…right now…"_

She fought to turn her head to face the window adjacent to the bed. Outside was a dark sky, and judging from the colors of the distant sunset, it appeared it was the same day. She couldn't her lucky stars that she seemed to have only been out a few hours. Even though she was about to graduate high school, it didn't mean her father Misao wouldn't chew her out for suddenly vanishing.

The pink-haired teen stared out the window a few moments longer. She saw the semi-translucent curtains flutter in the breeze from the slightly opened window. She found the fresh air especially sobering.

" _I wait years to see them again, and I go and pass out,"_ the teen thought to herself as she lifted a balled fist to cover her puffy eyes. _"Of course."_

Suddenly, the quiet stillness in the room was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mayura wearily lifted herself from the mattress and straightened her skirt. "Oh, um, who is it?"

A gentle yet prim voice returned a, "It's me, Miss Mayura."

The teen beamed and excitedly called for the person to enter. As the door swung open, the sight of piping hot tea and aroma of fresh scones were good enough clues as to the owner of the voice. She could have been blind, and all her other senses could have still identified Yamino almost instantly.

The young man looked the same as ever, wearing a perfectly pressed suit and groomed to perfection. He balanced a tray of expertly prepared goodies in one hand while his other shut the door behind him. He stood a few feet from the bed, and as he drew closer, she could see the fait tear stains on his lapels from when she'd hugged him earlier.

"How are you feeling?" Yamino asked kindly.

"I'm…weird," she said honestly, causing Yamino to laugh. She noticed he was keeping his distance from her and couldn't help but appreciate that even in his absence, his superhuman intuition and consideration for others didn't seemed to have faded by a hair's breadth. She said, "You can come closer, if you'd like. I'm okay."

The young man obeyed slowly and approached the bed. She patted the edge and gestured for him to sit down. Yamino took a seat and placed the tray of treats near Mayura's legs, making sure to give her plenty of room. He said, "I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some food."

Mayura gave the tray a once-over and smiled at the sight. In Yamino's typical fashion, he had brought tea that was especially fragrant with notes of cinnamon and plum. On another plate was a perfectly arranged plate of colorful scones. The teen reached out from the cup of tea and tentatively took the delicate china in her fingers.

It was strange. Even after everything she'd just been through, her hands were oddly steady.

"Thank you," she said, taking a long sip of the slightly-flavored drink. As expected, it was delicious and the warmth of the beverage seemed to soothe every inch of her body in no time. The sense of calmness that overcame her was almost instantaneous.

"As always, it's perfect," she said. The compliment made Yamino blush a bit and nod his appreciation.

She returned the cup to its saucer and proceeded to fold her hands in her lap. Silence stretched between them, but it was comforting. It was a welcome change from the sudden rush of new information that had occurred and would no doubt continue. That being said, she readied herself to venture into questions regarding their return.

She took a deep, cleansing breath.

"It was…quite a surprise to see you guys again," she began.

Yamino fell silent.

Mayura continued, "So, if you guys are back…does that mean you accomplished everything you had to do in Asgard?"

"…Yes," Yamino replied. Mayura lifted a brow at his response, since it was seemingly laced with an unusual amount of hesitation. How could he be unsure? After all, they were back on Earth. Why would they return if they had any doubt about not accomplishing their goal?

Before she could ask, Yamino cleared his throat and decided to speak up.

"Miss Mayura…I apologize," he said, breaking eye contact to stare at a spot on the bed. "I'm so, so sorry we left the way we did. You deserved more than that, and we were incredibly selfish."

Mayura didn't argue with him, but she did reach out to give his hand a small squeeze.

"You guys did what you had to," she offered.

"Yes, but at what cost to you?" Yamino asked guiltily. "You're a dear friend, and we treated you with disrespect. Actually, the word 'disrespect' is much too mild for how we treated you. I'm shocked you didn't beat us senseless when you saw us."

The teen snorted with laughter at the idea of her beating up Loki and his family. She asked in a mirth-laced voice, "Do you really think I'm heartless enough to do that?"

"That's just it," Yamino replied sincerely. "You never would. That doesn't mean we don't deserve a good beating after what we did."

"Fair enough," she said, nodding and feeling the color slowly return to her cheeks. Ever since waking up, she'd felt a little too cold and clammy for comfort. After laughing a bit with Yamino, she was finally starting to feel normal again. That didn't stop the situation from being completely surreal.

She wanted so badly to ask him what the solution they had reached up in the World of the Gods. She longed to know what had kept them away for so long, and what had taken so much time for them to decide, only for them to return and seem completely normal.

While lost in silent thought, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Yamino was staring at her. It wasn't a longing or stereotypically romantic stare, but rather a look of inquisition.

When Mayura asked what was wrong, she shook his head and ruffled his hair as if somewhat frazzled.

"Nothing," he said. "Sorry, you just look a little different."

What an odd thing to say, she thought with a curious tilt of the head. Was he shocked that she didn't have wrinkles or something? She said, "Well, it's been a few years. Of course I look a little different."

"A few years…?" he said, his voice as raspy as if he was without water in a desert. "That's, um…"

"Yes, it's been a few years," she gently reminded him, not understanding why he seemed so shaken. It seemed like common knowledge, after all. "Why?"

Yamino had forgotten that Mayura would have no idea. Although Odin had made the disconnect of Earth and Asgardian time very clear, they still had no idea exactly how much faster time in their own kingdom passed. In a way, he dreaded hearing the exact answer.

"How many years have passed?" he asked her.

"Almost three," she answered plainly. When she saw him cringe, she gave him a sideways look and asked him what was wrong.

He then explained to her that what had been three years to her had only been a few days for them. It had been less than a week since they'd left Midgard.

Mayura stared at him in stunned silence.

"It's…only been a few days for you, huh?" she asked, shaken to her core. Her teeth bit into her bottom lip as she let her eyes wander about the room for a moment. After about a minute of silence, she reached up and extended her hand again. This time, she lifted her fingers to his cheek and turned his head so her sanguine eyes could meet his dark ones.

"I feel like an old lady," she said suddenly. The phrase was so out-of-turn that Yamino bristled in surprise. She continued teasingly, "It's been years, huh? I feel like a grandma meeting her son at the airport. You look the same and I've aged fifty years. When you get to my age, everything starts to go faster and faster."

The young man smothered a chuckle as best he could. "Certainly not."

"Is that why you brought me scones?" she asked playfully. "Old ladies like pastries, right. Oh, but I hope they aren't too hard for my teeth."

"Please stop," Yamino begged, laughing now.

"Remember to bring my cane to my graduation ceremony."

Both of them enjoyed laughing at her exaggerated scheme. In between taunts, Mayura did finally down and take a bite into one of the scones. Although it was nice to laugh again, it would be cruel to denying her rumbling stomach much longer. She bit into one of the warm, doughy triangles without hesitation, starting with one of the puffed corners.

She stopped laughing almost instantly because she was completely overcome with nostalgia after just one bite. She took another and another, trying to place the flavor.

Finally, she asked the young butler what the pastries were flavored with. She could definitely pick up the hints of orange, but the tangy flavor was paired with a sweetness she couldn't place.

"Are these orange and cranberry scones?" she asked while taking another bite, a few bits of glaze sticking to her lip and finger tips.

"No, they're orange and cherry scones," he said, leaning forward a bit. An unreadable expression dawned on her face, and Yamino added, "Don't you remember? You got sick one day. I think it was sometime in winter…well anyway, you were so congested you couldn't taste anything. I decided to make something that was tasty but really sweet, hoping I could get you to keep it down."

The pastry rested in one of Mayura's hands. She was staring down at it, as if studying the bitemarks her teeth had left behind.

"I remember," she finally said, clenching the treat lightly. "I remember thinking that orange and cherry sounded like a weird combination. Too sweet and not tangy enough, but it was perfect. I think I ate three."

"That was the first time you'd eaten solid food in a day and a half," he recalled.

"You remember it that clearly?" she asked in amazement.

"Of course!" he asserted, as if offended by the insinuation he'd forget something so important. "I could never forget. I was so happy to see you eat. It's so funny, I also remember when…"

Yamino's sentence was severed prematurely as Mayura put the rest of the pastry down and rushed to hug him. She squeezed him even tighter than she had before, and if Yamino hadn't been some form of demi-god, she imagined she would have bruised his ribs.

He didn't immediately ask why she had hugged him. Instead, one of his hands drifted to the top of her head to gently smooth her hair down.

"You really are like a mom to me," she finally said. This time, words elicited a reaction. He looked down at her with wide eyes as she continued to say, "When I cry, you always have tissues. When I forget my coat, you loan me a scarf for the walk home. You even decorated this room for me. Now, you're back…and you still remember everything. You even know what foods I like, and you remember taking care of me when I was sick."

He was silent, prompting her to say everything she needed to.

"Ugh, I'm sorry," she said clumsily. She pulled away and smacked her fist against her forehead, feeling like a dimwit for saying such things to him. "That's a weird thing to say, especially to a guy."

"No, no," he hurriedly said. "It's not weird at all."

"Yes, it is," she sighed. "I don't know why I said that."

"Miss Mayura," he said easily, giving her a warm smile that made her suddenly forget her argument. When he smiled so serenely, he really did look like a doting parent.

He said in an almost emotional voice, "I can't tell you how flattered I am to hear you say that."

She blinked once. Then twice. Then she shook her head and asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm happy to hear that," he replied simply. "I know your mother…passed away when you were a young girl. I've heard stories and know how remarkable and kind she was. I also know your father is incredible. I still have bruises from our last encounter when you went missing at the zoo."

It took a moment for such bygone memories to resurface, but once they did, she felt her whole body cringe with embarrassment a little bit. "Oh. Um…right. He's definitely a very thorough parent, that's for sure."

"Of course," Yamino said with a shrug. "So for you to even out me on the same level as Misao and your mother? I couldn't be more honored."

A strange emotion overcame her at the sound of his words. She couldn't put a name to it, but she felt nostalgic, happy and even emotional all at the same time. She felt like she wanted to cry, but she'd never felt better.

"I think…I'd like to go meet the others now," Mayura said calmly. She finished her scone and took about two more for the walk downstairs. She hadn't known how famished she was until she'd finished the first pastry. The meal stuck to her ribs perfectly and was the perfect comfort food.

Yamino chuckled and went to collect the dirty dishes.

"I'm sure my big brother and father will me happy to see you again," the butler said as he made his way to the bedroom door. As he swung it open, she could hear the accented voice of her friend Koutarou still yelling after all this time. Yamino opted to explain the situation before Mayura even had to ask.

"He's been screaming at them since you passed out," Yamino explained. "Master Loki sent me up because he thought you'd also be the least angry at me."

"So you brought me tea and scones to appease my possible anger?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"More so that I'm the only one who knows how to make scones and tea to appease your possible anger," he said. "But the principle is the same."

"Ah," Mayura noted in amusement. She tried to imagine Koutarou screaming at a small child and black dog, but couldn't take the image seriously even as an idea. Seeing the real thing would be quite the experience.

The woman took a deep breath, and, after one last bite of a scone, she went to the door and decided it was time to finally head downstairs. Before leaving, she turned to Yamino and gave him a tiny smile.

"Thank you, Yamino," she whispered. "I mean it."

Yamino's eyes looked glassed over for a moment, shimmering with emotion. His expression then mellowed as he returned her smile and bowed gently to her.

"Of course."

 **-END-**

Again, thank you guys so much for hanging with me through all these delays. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate it!

Seriously, you guys are awesome. If you've waited for this chapter, you're amazing. If you've binged the story up until this point, give yourself a break and a pat on the back because you're awesome too.

Next time, Mayura reunites with a familiar furry friend and a miniature detective. There might be more scones as well.


	14. Like Minds

Title: Remembrance

Pairing: N/A (Hints of Mayukou)

Disclaimer: Please give all credit for the creation of Matantei Loki/RAGNAROK/Gods of the New World to Sakura Kinoshita. This story is written purely for fun, not profit.

Author's Notes: Happy holidays, guys! I hope you're all having a wonderful winter season. Whether you're snuggled up at home or reading this somewhere else, I hope this chapter brings you a little extra happiness, whoever or wherever you are.

 **-START-**

For the first time since he'd come to Earth, Fenrir was thankful to be in his puppy form. It was thanks to his four-legged and limber nature that he was able to dodge the very heavy book that had fallen from the bookshelf after Koutarou had rammed his fist into the wall with a very surprising amount of strength.

Meanwhile, the puppy's father had dashed to grab a vase out of mid-air to prevent it from falling from a nearby table and crashing onto the floor.

"Be quiet!" Loki barked at the blond teen. "Mayura is asleep. Do you really want to wake her?"

A few hours ago, the mansion had reappeared on Midgard after a long absence on Earth. What had seemed like a couple hours or days to them had been years on Earth.

After arriving home from their divine rendezvous and finding a solution for their fated encounter with Ragnarok, Fenrir had immediately left the agency to lure Mayura to their old mansion. The hope was that she would find their return comforting, even if she screamed at them for a few hours. Instead, Mayura had collapsed from shock and exhaustion, and Koutarou had taken her place at the helm. For the past hour, he'd yelled and assailed them with insulting, yet arguably true, statements about their idiotic decision and insensitivity towards a young woman who hadn't deserved such cruelty from them.

As hard as it was for Loki to hear, he listened. It wasn't until Koutarou's anger began to result in punched walls and toppling artifacts that the trickster god decided to try and regain control of the situation.

"She's probably exhausted," Loki said, looking at the blond-haired teen with a look of cold displeasure. "Kindly quiet down."

The corner of Kakinouchi's mouth twitched as he let out a low, rumbling chuckle.

"You're going to lecture me on what's best for Mayura?" he asked. "Really?"

The teen's words gave Loki pause. The boy went to sit the vase down on another table, all the way across the room where Koutarou couldn't reach it, before turning to face him again. "You're calling her by her first name now?"

Loki had only ever heard Koutarou refer to her as 'Daidouji.' He had to wonder what had prompted the sudden change, but the obvious answer as to why seemed far too easy.

It seemed the two had grown closer in the years Loki and his family had been away from Midgard. In a way, that fact brought him great pleasure. He was glad that Mayura seemed to move on and develop healthy friendships with humans, and grow closer to people like Koutarou. The small god was happy that, although their sudden disappearance had definitely upset her, that she'd been strong enough to move on and fight back against the discomfort to resume having a normal life.

It made him feel happy, but sad all the same. It was a bittersweet emotion he'd never felt before.

 _In a way, she didn't even need us to come back,_ a disruptive voice in Loki's head rattled menacingly.

"Of course," Koutarou said, his tone dark. "We're friends. Although, you call her by her first name as well, so I guess we might not be as close friends as I thought."

The words hurt, but Loki didn't allow his confident expression to be eclipsed by any evidence of the pain he felt inside.

"I didn't mean it like that," Loki said with a sigh, answering Koutarou's earlier question with as little irritation in his voice as he could manage. He continued sharply, "Anyway, I understand how you feel. I really do. Please yell at us all you want, but keep it down until Mayura wakes up."

The teen scoffed loudly at the boy's response, as if he didn't believe him. Meanwhile, Loki desperately tried to resist the urge to glare at him. He understood Koutarou's anger, but felt that he had less to be angry about than Mayura did. After all, he wasn't the one they'd had left hanging.

Still, they had technically betrayed him in a way that was different from how they'd double-crossed Mayura. While the young woman had been rattled by the disappearance of her close friends, they hadn't touched her memories. They never physically altered her mind in any way, shape or form. Koutarou was another story.

"We betrayed you too," Loki said softly. "And…I'm sorry for that, but Mayura is the one who really deserves to be angry at us."

"Not that I don't?" Koutarou replied, raising his voice, his accent intensifying with his anger. "You erased my memories. You didn't just steal memories of time I spent with you guys, but of times I spent with Mayura as well…of times I spent with my cousin, Ayana."

The small god cringed.

That was right. By stealing all of Koutarou's memories of them, they hadn't just taken themselves out his mind. They'd also removed precious memories of time he'd spent with friends and family. Hell, he imagined his cousin Ayana's memory had been completely wiped. It didn't matter that his memories were back now…he'd still been without them for years, after having given them up without consent.

"I didn't say that you don't deserve to be angry…." Loki repeated, his teeth boring into his bottom lip. "You're right. You deserve to be enraged. What we did was unacceptable."

"Well, that goes without saying," Koutarou finally replied, folding his arms across his chest. "After all, she deserves to yell at you way more than I do."

 _Great minds still think alike_ , Loki thought, emerald eyes softening a bit at the teen words. He'd forgotten how alike he and Koutarou truly were. It also suddenly dawned on Loki that because they'd stolen Koutarou's memories, Mayura had been the only one to remember them. What Loki had thought originally to be a token of grace was suddenly turning into a curse.

 _She must have thought she was crazy,_ Loki thought, pain twisting his gut.

Although they'd stolen Koutarou's memories, but left her father's so she wouldn't be completely alone. The intent wasn't to drive her insane, but to leave no trace while they were away…or at least minimalize the trace as best they could. That didn't mean they hadn't senselessly hurt her, or Koutarou, in the process.

Silence engulfed the trio of a few moments, with neither Loki or Fenrir daring to break the tense moment. A minute stretched on for damned near eternity before Koutarou sighed and dropped his arms to his side, both swinging as heavily as pendulums of lead.

He looked up at stared at Loki with an expression the god could only describe with one word; heartbroken.

"How could you do that to me?" Koutarou asked in a hushed tone. "How…how could you do that to _her?_ "

Loki's tongue went numb and the ability to form words evaded him. Before he could begin to even fathom a response, he heard the gentle sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Nobody needed to look up the dark corridor to know that it was Mayura descending the staircase.

As she stepped into the yellowish light, her pink hair turning a shade of dusty rose in the indoor luminescence, their theories were only validated.

Loki wasn't sure what he'd been picturing. Perhaps he thought she'd be overjoyed and run to embrace him again. Another part of him thought she'd sprint across the room and slap him senseless, which even he would admit he knew he deserved.

She did neither.

Instead, the young woman peered over at him with half-lidded eyes from her position on the bottom stair. She didn't break eye contact proceeded to cross the hall to meet him, where she gently kneeled to meet his gaze. Loki stepped back against the wall, almost feeling intimidated by how calm and oddly serene she seemed.

The young woman reached up and gently placed her hand atop the small boy's head.

"What are you doing?" he asked shakily, confused by how calm she was.

Suddenly, a bolt of realization struck him, and his eyes flew open in shock.

It was just like the first time they'd met in his study, many years ago, when she was seventeen years old and desperately seeking help for her kidnapped best friend, Kaho. Or, had she come to him asking about a demonically possessed doll? It seemed so long ago. He couldn't specifically recall the case, but he remembered what it had looked like.

Almost instantly, he flashed back to their first meeting.

It had been dusk, and everything in the study was bathed in a golden glow. She had crouched before him, staring at his childish face was an expression of unbridled confusion.

" _What do you think you're doing?"_ the small god asked the high school girl when she'd crossed the room to pat his head.

" _You're really…a detective?"_ she'd asked. _"But you're just a kid!"_

" _I may look like a child, but that doesn't reflect my true abilities,"_ Loki had told her, his expression straight-laced and his posture elegantly poised. _"And you are?"_

" _My name? Mayura Daidouji."_

" _Mayura."_

"Mayura…?" his voice croaked out, feeling more unsteady on his feet as the memory faded before his eyes and reality began to return. She was mere inches from him, her fingers gently ruffling locks of his hair.

Their positions might have been the same as that day, but there was no doubt in his mind that things had changed. The tables had turned; their expressions of confidence and shock had been swapped.

The Mayura Daidouji he was staring at was, in many ways, the same he always knew. In other ways, she was a completely different person.

"Loki, I want to come back here tomorrow," she said calmly, dipping her head to close her eyes. The young woman almost looked as if she was lost in deep thought, but was still fully cognizant of the world around her. "I want to hear about what you guys discussed in Asgard."

The boy could only nod. "Of course. We'd be happy to tell you."

After all, she deserved to hear the reason. He could at least give her that much.

Mayura was quiet for a few seconds, her head still lowered. Then she lifted her head and spoke to him in a quiet voice, "I also want to come back…to get to know you guys again."

The small god blinked at the odd statement. He wasn't sure he completely understood what she meant. Thankfully, Mayura knew her friend well and saw the confusion clearly reflected in his eyes. She knew she had to elaborate.

"You guys have been gone for a while," she said with a simple shrug. "We…need to catch-up, right? We need to get reacquainted."

She removed her hand from the top of his head and instead extended in in front of her torso, as if awaiting a handshake.

Loki stared at her hand, as if dumbfounded. A handshake was such a formal gesture. It was something two people did if they were meeting for the first time.

Then again, he supposed that was correct.

"That…sounds good," Loki said, smiling as he reached out. Her larger hand met his smaller one, and they shook firmly. It was a reawakening of their friendship, and a new promise for the near future. "Come around noon. I'll keep lunch open for you. We'll have tea as well."

"And cookies!" Fenrir chimed in from the corner. "We'll even bake those white chocolate ones you like so much."

"I'll prepare my best tea as well," Yamino said with a small bow from his spot on the stairs.

The young woman let out a laugh, titling her head back and smiling brightly.

"I'll be there. It's a date!"

* * *

The gate closed behind them with a small, metallic clang. The duo stood quietly on the silent sidewalk, hearing nothing but the faint chirping of cicadas and the buzzing of the outdated streetlights overhead. The young woman kept her eyes focused on the ground, staring at the pebbles and cigarette butts on the pavement near she shoes.

She'd put on a calm façade in front of everyone, and while her forgiveness had been sincere, she still felt as if she was in a dream. Everything seemed too good to be true.

Koutarou looked at her silently for a few seconds, as if unsure what to say. Hell, there really wasn't anything he could say, but he didn't dare move away from her. He lingered close, supporting her silently and not urging her to act or move until she was ready. No matter if she needed five minutes or more, he wouldn't leave her on that dark street corner alone.

The blond man looked back to the mansion out of curiosity and saw a cluster of dark shadows looming in the brightly lit window to Loki's study. At this, the teen couldn't help but smile. It seemed they had the same idea he'd had.

Even if they were watching from far away, they were still with her.

The little observance was all he needed to muster the courage to speak.

Koutarou broke the silence with a lightly chuckle. Mayura turned to face her friend and was instead met with a shiny, dark green bottle with a patent gold label. Daidouji instantly recognized the bottle as champagne, and gave her friend a curious look.

The blond teen pulled the bottle back a few inches from her He answered her silent question with a mischievous grin. "Yeah. I took this from their fridge while you were talking to them. I'd say they owe us something for their trouble, don't you think?"

"You stole it?" the woman asked in disbelief.

"Well, Yamino saw me right before I left," Koutarou reasoned weakly. "He didn't stop me. Hell, I thought I saw him laugh."

The young woman was speechless. She could only stare at Koutarou with wide eyes and her mouth agape. She imagined she must have looked like a fish from the market, but she couldn't care less.

It didn't take long for her confusion to dissolve into a bought of giggles, and finally, full-on laughter. It had been way too long since she'd laughed so hard.

Koutarou opened the bottle and took a small sip. He didn't even grimace from the taste as he handed the bottle to Mayura. The teen had tasted more than his share of champagne and port in his life, but a little sip was enough for him.

The young woman grabbed the bottle and, after staring at it calmly for a moment titled it back and took a long and uninterrupted gulp.

 **-END-**

Running Scared by DUETT and Stewart Lockwood is my new Mayura/Koutarou inspiration jam.

Seriously, I think I had it on repeat for the second half of this chapter and the song fits my feeling of their relationship so much. I came across it by accident, but it's easy to find on Youtube if you want to give it a listen while reading.

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who has read this far! I can't tell you how much I appreciate everyone's support.

Special thanks to Rival Adamantine, James Birdsong, Fairygirl34, DoomCabbit, Lalu, Joy-girl and LeDeLuu, thank you all so much for your reviews and wonderful advice! You're all amazing.

See you guys again soon! Next time, we meet the gang again, find out what happened in Asgard, and a few new party members jump into the fray,


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